90% of buyers purchased pre-loved goods in the past year according to a new survey from eBay. Sustainability is increasing in importance to both sellers and buyers they say, as the third annual eBay Recommerce Report is released, exploring what drives sellers and buyers to participate in the sale of pre-loved goods.
The latest study shows that both sellers and buyers are turning to recommerce for its financial benefits. Sellers are making and expanding their livelihoods on our marketplace by selling gently used goods, while buyers are seeking pre-owned items to find what they love at a fraction of the price. And for both sellers and buyers, recommerce is a way to reduce their environmental impact.
We know that our sellers and buyers are passionate about the sustainable and economic values of recommerce. At eBay, these values are core to who we are as a company — and we work every day to build a more robust circular economy.
– Jamie Iannone, President and CEO, eBay
- 90% of buyers said they’ve purchased pre-loved goods on eBay in the past year.
- 93% of sellers said sustainability was either “very” or “somewhat” important to them.
- 79% of sellers said their selling on eBay has stayed the same or increased over the prior six months due to the economy.
- eBay found that Gen Z-ers are significantly more likely to turn to recommerce for extra cash, and are more attuned to the value of recommerce as it relates to environmental sustainability.
Recommerce is a way to earn extra income, according to 67% of the U.S. sellers surveyed. This year, 13% of sellers surveyed said they engage in recommerce due to lost household income, and 30% said they saw an increase in their selling over the past six months.
Worldwide, 90% of buyers surveyed reported purchasing pre-owned goods on eBay in the past year. In some countries, that number was even higher; French respondents clocked in at 98%. This popularity of recommerce is evident from the seller survey, too; nearly 75% of the items sold by the seller survey respondents were either pre-owned or refurbished. (France was again higher than the average, at 77.5%.)
On the buyer side, tech and electronics remained the global category leader, with 34% of buyers surveyed reporting that they had purchased gadgetry. In Germany, more than half, or 56%, of buyer respondents said they purchased tech or electronics in the past year.
About 90% of our seller respondents said reducing waste is an important aspect of sustainability in recommerce for them. In 2022, eBay recommerce resulted in 73,000 metric tons of waste avoided from landfills, 1.6 million metric tons of avoided carbon and $4.6 billion in positive economic impact created by eBay’s sellers and buyers.
Generational differences showed up here as well in our study’s findings, with younger generations, including Gen Z and Millennials, valuing the sustainability benefits of recommerce at a higher rate than older generations.
You can read eBay’s full Recommerce Report here.
