Are consumer more likely to consider purchasing second-hand furniture than clothes?

Many fashion brands are trying to enable resale, repair, rental and refill to offset their carbon footprint. So, how many consumers would consider purchasing pre-owned clothes and shoes? And where does used furniture feature in the list of products consumers would consider purchasing?

In the latest YouGov survey conducted across 18 international markets, around half of global respondents (51%) say they are willing to consider purchasing pre-owned cars. Furniture and clothes and shoes are the next most popular pre-owned products consumers would consider buying, registering about a third of global respondents – 36% and 32% respectively. Over a quarter indicate that they would consider buying second-hand cell phones and tech products like TVs, laptops, and home appliances (27% both). While 24% of consumers say they would consider purchasing pre-owned exercise/sports equipment, it is among the bottom two categories with only gaming consoles registering fewer consumers (19%).

We look at consumer appetite for used clothes and shoes in 18 markets. Great Britain registers the highest percentage of consumers who would consider purchasing second-hand clothes and shoes (47%). It is worth noting that second-hand clothing has received a lot of attention from influencers and celebrity stylists in the UK. Sweden (44%) and Australia (42%) follow closely behind.

While most of the European markets studied in this survey outpace the global audience, there are a few countries where purchasing pre-loved clothes and shoes is not as popular a consideration. Fewer than a third of consumers in both Germany (28%) and Spain (27%) say they would consider buying second-hand clothes. Italy registers only 22% of consumers, the lowest of all markets in Europe.

Around two in five consumers in both Canada and the United States (41% each) say they would consider purchasing second-hand clothes and shoes. Urban Mexicans do not show the same enthusiasm as their North American neighbors (30%).

Data suggests that second-hand clothing and shoes are markedly less considered among consumers in other parts of the world.

UAE has 23% of consumers who would consider purchasing second-hand clothes and shoes. About a fifth of consumers in Singapore (21%), India (19%) and Indonesia (19%) say the same. Hong Kong and China have the lowest percentage of consumers who would consider purchasing pre-loved clothes and shoes at 13% and 10% respectively.

Second-hand furniture is a well-established market in most countries (even IKEA has given its pre-loved furniture a new home). Consumers in all 18 markets have similar rates of consideration for buying second-hand furniture as they do for pre-loved clothes and shoes.

Great Britain once again comes up top as more than half of Britons would consider purchasing second-hand furniture (55%). The other two markets to register more than half of their consumers considering second-hand furniture are Sweden (53%) and Australia (51%).

Around a third of consumers in Germany (31%) and Italy (31%) would consider purchasing pre-owned furniture but it’s slightly lesser than global respondents and the lowest among all European countries surveyed.

UAE also has 31% of consumers who would consider purchasing second-hand furniture. The share drops steadily in Asian markets. While over a quarter of Indians (27%) and 22% of Singaporeans say they would consider buying pre-owned furniture, it is much lower than the overall average. China has 18% of consumers considering purchasing second-hand furniture, followed by Hong Kong at 17% and Indonesia at 10%, which are the lowest percentages among all countries surveyed.

In North America, Canadians are most likely to consider pre-loved furniture (46%), followed by Americans (42%), where the market is projected to grow by 2025. But fewer Mexicans would have the same consideration (32%).

Explore our living data – for free

To receive monthly insights about the retail industry register here.  

To read YouGov’s latest intelligence on the retail sector explore here.

Make smarter business decisions with better intelligence. Understand exactly what your audience is thinking by leveraging our panel of 20 million+ members. Speak with us today. 

Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18+ years in 18 markets with sample sizes varying between 512 and 2034 for each market. All surveys were conducted online in February 2023. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.

Getty Images