In a context of stagnation and even decline in sales due to inflation, second-hand products are experiencing one of their best moments. The best sign of its good health is the recent launch in Spain of Zara Pre-Owned, the second-hand platform of the fashion giant Inditex, which adds to a trend already carried out by other fast fashion brands such as H
All on the eve of Christmas in which more than half of Spaniards consider giving second-hand products, according to a study carried out by Amazon, which has two specific web portals for this type of items (Amazon Segunda Mano and Amazon Renewed).
“Second-hand consumption is clearly increasing. Until 2021, the trend was very stable, but this year especially we have detected a relevant increase, with an increase in sales of more than 10% compared to 2022, and the prospects for 2024 are positive,” says Miguel Giribet, executive director of Cash Converters, a company specialized in the purchase and sale of second-hand products. Furthermore, Giribet points out that "in 2023 we have begun to see more customers who do not buy second-hand out of necessity, but because for them it is now another option."
In this sense, in the opinion of the executive director, the “first reason for this change in trend is the greater awareness of citizens about the environmental benefits of buying second-hand.”
The other big reason is “the context of inflation and the difficulties of many families in making ends meet, which causes them to look for alternatives to traditional consumption,” says Guillermo Casasnovas, professor in the Department of Society, Politics and Sustainability at Esade. as well as a researcher at the Esade Center for Social Impact.
The executive director of Cash Converters recognizes that they are being “favored by the economic and financial context”, although it is true that the purchase of this type of items is a trend prior to the current context of inflation and that it comes from northern Europe, where it has been most established and for the longest time. “We are still behind these countries, but Spain is closing the gap quickly,” adds Giribet.
Extending the useful life of products reduces their ecological footprint, not only because it delays the generation of waste, but also because the need to manufacture new products is eliminated, with its consequent savings in energy, raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse.
In 2022, the second-hand market saved a total of 922,557 tons of CO₂ in Spain, which is equivalent to the country's emissions in two full days or the emissions generated by the production of 10 million sofas, according to calculations by Milanuncios. This online classified ads portal estimates that sales made through its website represented a potential saving of 59,126 tons of plastic last year (equivalent to 1.1 billion plastic bottles), 439,780 tons of steel (about 488,000 cars) and 39,094 tons of aluminum (2.6 billion cans).
