Two-thirds of UK consumers buy or sell secondhand fashion - report

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
February 1, 2024

Whether it’s for sustainability reasons or more about being thrifty in the cost-of-living crisis, it seems that the appeal of secondhand fashion is really getting through to UK consumers.

A new study from my MyVoucherCodes shows that as many as 62% of UK shoppers buy clothes secondhand and around two-thirds of them also give unwanted items to charity shops, while 29% sell such pieces on secondhand sites or online marketplaces.

Of course, this big increase in the number of people shopping secondhand goes along with the increased availability of such goods. They're not only being bought from vintage and charity shops but online via the aforementioned sites and marketplaces in a big way. 

Since the advent of eBay decades ago, the number of secondhand marketplace has proliferated and buying pre-owned goods is so much easier today.

MyVoucherCodes’ survey of more than 2,000 UK consumers showed only 14% of Britons specifically search for sustainably made clothes and just 12% choose to upcycle their clothes, “despite this being one of the best ways to give items a second life”.

The poll also showed women engage in so-called slow fashion habits more often than men. While 41% of women regularly buy pre-owned clothes, only 19% of men do the same. As for selling unwanted items on secondhand sites or online marketplaces, more than a third (37%) of women routinely do so, compared to 21% of men.

And while upcycling numbers remain low, women are more willing to give it a go, with 16% of female respondents trying it, compared to just 8% of men.