Younger consumers are leading a surge in “recommerce,” with a significant majority having bought or sold a pre-owned item in the past year.
According to eBay’s new 2024 Recommerce Report, 88% of consumers have engaged in recommerce within the past 12 months. Millennials are the most active, with 9% purchasing pre-owned goods weekly and 24% doing so monthly.
Gen Z also shows substantial activity, with 21% buying pre-owned items monthly. This report follows eBay’s announcement of its inaugural Recommerce Day.
Sustainability and affordability are the primary motivators for most recommerce shoppers. Over six-in-10 (64%) agree that buying pre-owned goods benefits the planet’s health.
Similarly, 62% cite saving money as the main reason for participating in recommerce.
Other motivations include finding specific items not available new (25%), obtaining affordable brands pre-owned (24%), and discovering unique or collectible items (18%).
Globally, the top five most-purchased recommerce categories are clothes (48%), books (34%), shoes (24%), home and garden items (23%), and tech/electronics (22%).
While interest in apparel remains robust, eBay noted an increase in interest for goods related to collections and hobbies, particularly among Gen Z (10%) and millennials (6%), year-over-year.
In addition to increased buyer interest in recommerce, 50% of eBay sellers reported selling more pre-owned products compared to one to five years ago.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of eBay sellers have found it easier to sell pre-owned products on eBay in recent years. Nearly eight-in-10 global sellers began their eBay journey by selling pre-owned goods.
These positive attitudes towards recommerce are reflected in the broader sentiment, with 88% of consumers feeling happy or optimistic about some aspect of their life.
The top areas of positivity are hobbies and interests (53%), personal relationships (49%), and their identity, sense of purpose, and values (38%).
