Categoría: Notice

Second hand, the most sustainable purchase.

It seems incredible that only 3 years ago second hand was something that we socially accepted as «shabby», it was reserved for people without resources and we did not even think of giving away something that had passed through other hands.
We were far from the European philosophy of countries such as the United Kingdom where this form of consumption is ingrained in the culture itself.
It was at the end of 1996 when the first establishments of this type arrived in Spain, while second-hand stores had already existed in Europe, Australia and the United States since the early 1980s.
Spanish society started with less tradition in this type of market, which grew timidly every year, but suddenly the pandemic arrived and made us rethink our way of life.
We realized that we could live better with less, that our model of consumerism is not sustainable and that we owe a great debt to our planet.
Spanish society underwent a major turning point in its consumption habits, and today, three years later, we are still evolving towards a new market at the pace of greater environmental awareness.

Sustainable purchasing

People who opt for second hand are no longer just doing it to save money, but a new motivation has entered the game: sustainable purchasing.
We are happy to do our bit for the circular economy and support it with second-hand purchases/sales. Concern for the Planet, in crescendo, is attracting to this market consumers who want to extend the life of items to avoid new manufacturing.
In addition to being more environmentally conscious, other reasons that have helped us mature as responsible consumers have been the fact of being aware of savings, the return to a taste for vintage, and undoubtedly the Internet, which has facilitated the exchange of these products, with the proliferation of platforms.
More and more people have managed to curb their eagerness for brand new products and are considering a more sustainable consumption that involves betting on second hand when buying products, but also by extending the life of those items we have at home and do not use by reselling them.
To point out just one fact, in 2022 the number of consumers who made second-hand purchases grew by almost 10% compared to the previous year, according to our company’s internal data.

Evolution of the second-hand market

The second-hand market has matured dramatically in the last three years. We now find a multitude of products in each category, to the point that it is difficult not to find the used form of any product.
The image of a relic bazaar has disappeared. The consumer is looking for a current product in good condition, such as a smartphone of a certain brand, a television, a PC or a console that has recently gone on sale.
In fact, consumer electronics is one of the best-selling categories in physical stores and second-hand platforms.
Circularity is no longer something exclusive to second-hand buying and selling companies, and this is a clear symptom of the awareness of other forms of consumption.
Every day we read in the press how giants of the sectors join this proposal betting on spaces in which to accommodate the second hand.
The second-hand market will continue to evolve and with it the profile of consumers, who are already beginning to demand items that have already had a life that include the same guarantees as a new one.
In this regard, product certification is becoming increasingly important and is a prerequisite for the good development of this sector.

Promoting a change in consumer habits to achieve a more sustainable world in economic, social and environmental terms involves dignifying the second hand and destroying the mental barriers that still exist among buyers.

Consumers cling to the imagination to try to spend less

The escalation of prices has led to changes in consumer habits, such as the use of car sharing or the rise of second-hand clothing stores and private labels.
The steady escalation of inflation, stemming from the war in Ukraine, has sent prices soaring in recent months. The increase in the price of some products -especially food and fuel- has set record records and has forced many consumers to look for new ways to try to reduce expenses, using their imagination.

The Ukrainian war broke out a year ago in a context in which prices had already risen as a result of the post-pandemic economic recovery. «It’s like if an injury catches you untrained, it catches you bad and makes you recover worse,» compares the professor of the EAE Business School, Àlex Alegret. Despite the Spanish government’s approval in March last year of a first package of measures to reverse the generalized increase in costs, prices continued to rise and peaked in the summer. «In the end you only have one pocket. Some money comes in and with it you have to organize your life. And it all starts with sleeping, eating, drinking and dressing. If you raise the price of everything, you will obviously pay for it, but you will have less and less,» summarizes Alegret, who recalls that salaries have not risen in the same way as prices have. This would explain why many consumers have been forced to look for alternatives to spend less and have changed their purchasing habits.

Boom in second-hand clothing stores

One sector that has seen an increase in sales is thrift stores. Many consumers have no qualms about going to one of them to buy clothes for less money. Francesc Garriga, owner of the Flamingos business in Reus acknowledges that «in recent months we have noticed the presence of new customers looking for bargains. Our success is a mix of several things: vintage fashion is back, sustainability, but also price. And the latter has been quite noticeable in recent months. For example, with people coming in looking for branded shirts.»

Flamingos does not buy second-hand clothing from individuals. It does so to vintage stores in the United States and, lately, to European department stores. Flamingos customers can find a Lacoste sweater – which would cost between 120 and 140 euros in a first-hand store – for 30 euros at most.

Savings? Sustainability? Fashion? Jordi Quintero is one of these young people who has recently opted to buy his clothes in second-hand stores. Although he admits that he saves some money, he also comments that there are other reasons that lead him to this practice. «The main reason for going to buy clothes in second-hand stores is out of a willingness to give a second life to garments that someone else has not wanted to continue to have. Also knowing information about labor and child exploitation practices with large multinationals, second-hand stores offer a comfortable alternative,» says this young man.

The Humana Foundation has found that the consumption of used clothing in Barcelona has grown by 25% in the last year and in 2022 exceeded one million customers for the first time. «These are quality pieces at affordable prices, and in this context of inflation, prices are a big factor in attracting customers,» explains Humana spokesman Joan Carles Montes.

changes that are here to stay

One of the doubts is whether these changes that have come hand in hand with inflation are here to stay. Both the OCU and Aecoc agree that these new consumer habits will continue at least during the first half of 2023, as there are still products with skyrocketing prices. For his part, the professor of the EAE Business School predicts that when inflation passes there will be a «correction» in consumer habits, but believes that some trends will remain.