The importance of vintage clothing is rising among European buyers. Second-hand clothing platform Vinted has examined the space that used clothes is occupying in people’s closets and provided insights into consumer behavior in the second-hand category in its most recent “Impact Report.” These are based on a poll of 13,000 Vinted users and almost 100,000 members of the Berlin-based climate tech startup Vaayu.
A sizable portion of my wardrobe is made up of used items. Nowadays, a sizable number of Vinted members’ wardrobes are composed of used goods: Approximately 65% of participants stated that at least 25% of their wardrobe is comprised of pre-owned items, and 37% even had a wardrobe that is composed of 50% or more pre-owned clothing. Top of the list are the UK, Germany, France, and Poland: More than 40% of participants from these nations claim that more than half of their clothing is comprised of used items.
Shifting the way that consumers behave Customers’ purchasing habits appear to extend outside the second-hand market into more general categories: Just under a third of respondents said they now bought used goods more frequently than new ones, and almost three quarters said they were purchasing less products overall. The vast majority of Vinted customers (65%) state that they would rather purchase fewer, more costly, and long-lasting fashion products.
Vinted’s “Luxury Trend Update” previously disclosed which high-end products are particularly appealing to European consumers. This indicates that they are at battle with rapid fashion. Just a small percentage of Vinted users—roughly 12% in France—make impulsive purchases after discovering something they like while browsing.
Motivation: Economical value Value for money is the primary driver behind secondhand purchases made by Vinted members. Due to the fact that used goods are typically less expensive than new ones, over half of the respondents chose to purchase them. Older products also have convincing quality. Approximately 84% of respondents believe that the quality of these purchases is on par with or better than expected. The study claims that because they may decide to sell their purchases later, buyers of used products also treat their items with greater care.
Thomas Plantenga, CEO of Vinted Group, stated, “Our ‘Impact Report’ demonstrates that second-hand has the potential to become the first choice across Europe.” “The advantages are already evident to our members in their day-to-day existence. These findings motivate us to keep investing in order to increase the accessibility of used goods for all members of society. Even with this encouraging development, used clothing still makes just a tiny portion of the market. So, we still have a great deal of work and opportunity ahead of us.
Impact of climate According to Vaayu’s research, by purchasing used goods rather than brand-new ones, users of the second-hand site avoided emitting almost 680 kilotonnes of CO2 in 2023 alone. In forty percent of the transactions, there was an avoidance of new purchases and the corresponding emissions needed to make a new article of apparel. As per Marianne Gybels, Senior Director of Sustainability at Vinted, the incorporation of carbon emissions into the report will yield valuable perspectives for enhancing the organization’s sustainability approach. “It is encouraging for the environment that we are beginning to understand how resale affects people’s purchasing habits.”
