More than a third of Swedes bought used goods in December. At the same time, more than one in four Swedes plan to buy more used goods for purely financial reasons.
The Swedish Trade Association’s (Svensk Handels) “Pre Loved indicator” is a new monthly survey of consumers’ second-hand consumption, which measures the amount of sales made by retailers in the previous month, as well as the number of people who have bought second-hand, and monitors the overall trend in the fashion category.
In December, three out of ten people shopped for used goods, with fashion being the largest category. In addition, the entire fashion trade in used products had a turnover of SEK 347 million.
– We can definitely say that the second-hand trade has established itself as a natural part of Swedish commerce. The second-hand trade has gone from shame to glamour, says Sofia Larsen, CEO of the Swedish Trade Association, in a press release.
The reason, she says, is a combination of customers’ expectations of sustainable consumption and increased awareness among companies.
In a new survey conducted by Swedish opinion research company Kantor Sifo on behalf of Sweden’s largest online marketplace Blocket, more than one in four Swedes said they planned to buy more used goods for financial reasons. At the same time, 23 percent said they planned to sell more used goods.
– We see that the interest in buying and selling used goods is growing all the time. People are becoming more environmentally conscious and want to make more sustainable choices. But of course the economic situation also plays a role, says Ebba Rosencrantz, press officer at Blocket, to the tax-funded SVT.
