Brits are buying and selling more pre-owned fashion online now than five years ago as consumers increasingly look to close the loop on fast fashion.
According to new consumer spending data from eBay, UK shoppers spent £187 million on over 20 million pre-owned fashion items on the site in the 12 months to June 2019. This represents a 15% increase compared with 2014, as circular economy values influence mainstream shopping behaviours.
The data also shows UK shoppers are increasingly seeking out more environmentally friendly fashion options.
Searches on eBay including words associated with ‘closed loop’ shopping have increased considerably in the past three years. For instance, searches for the word ‘sustainable’ have increased by 600%; the word ‘used’ by 417%; and the word ‘eco-friendly’ by 344%.
However, the growing trend for recycling fashion isn’t solely being driven by shoppers. Almost 10,000 new sellers registered on eBay in the 12 months to June 2019 specifically to sell and recycle their pre-owned items.
The ‘Blue Planet effect’
Notably, the data pinpoints 2017 as a turning point for consumer attitudes to pre-owned fashion following the ‘Blue Planet effect’. Prior to the airing of Blue Planet 2 in October 2017, purchases of pre-owned items on eBay were falling. However, from 2017-2019 they jumped by 10%, signalling a shift in consumers’ ethical consciences.
In the years following Blue Planet’s release, over 30,000 new sellers joined eBay to list and recycle pre-owned items.
Commenting on the data is Helen Riley, head of fashion at eBay. “Consumers are picking up the pace in their backlash against today’s throwaway fashion society – it is evident on both sides of the eBay platform, with millions more used items being bought and sold now than five years ago.
“When you couple the increasing popularity of pre-owned fashion items with the explosion of sustainable fashion searches, it becomes clear that the ‘conscious shopper’ is not just someone on the hunt for a bargain. It captures those who want to take an active role in protecting our environment.
“Whether it’s from a charity shop, vintage fair or marketplace, buying a good quality, pre-owned item of clothing, rather than opting for ‘new’, is a simple and easy way shoppers can reduce the environmental impact of their wardrobe – and they are clearly doing so in their masses.”
