Where Pre-Owned Clothes Are (and Aren't) Bought

According to the most recent wave of Statista's Consumer Insights survey, consumers in Finland and Poland have the highest affinity for sustainable fashion among all countries surveyed. 33 percent of respondents in said countries have recently bought second-hand clothing online or in person, putting the two nations ten percentage points above the average respondent share of 23 percent. Residents of three major Asian countries, on the other hand, are less likely to spend money on pre-owned fashion.

Only about one in ten survey participants from China, Japan and South Korea claimed to have spent money on second-hand clothing in the 12 months preceding the survey. Other countries with a share below 20 percent not pictured in the chart are South Africa (15 percent), Brazil (15 percent), Italy (16 percent), Austria (16 percent) and Spain (19 percent). 

On the surface level, high shares of consumers buying used goods might indicate individual economic hardship in the corresponding countries. However, the varied survey results from growing and stagnating economies alike suggest that such external macroeconomic factors might not play the most important role. For example, an upstart economy like India with its projected GDP growth of seven percent in its fiscal year 2024/2025 according to recent World Bank estimates still boasts a 24 percent share of respondents buying second-hand clothing. 

While second-hand fashion is mostly sold via a consumer-to-consumer model, platforms can nonetheless profit from commissions or handling fees when the users use built-in payment or shipping solutions. This is especially relevant due to the market for pre-owned clothing being on an upward trajectory. According to an analysis by the self-styled "online thrift store" ThredUp released in March 2024, global gross merchandise volume in the second-hand fashion segment generated on platforms like Vinted or Depop will reach $350 billion by 2028, more than doubling compared to 2021.