Second-hand market: Used Christmas presents are in vogue

Clothing, smartphones, books, video games: more and more people in Germany are giving away second-hand products rather than newly purchased ones for Christmas. According to a study by Ebay and the retail research institute IFH, 35 percent are planning to do so this year. That is six percentage points more than in 2023. This is based on a representative survey of 500 people. Second-hand includes items that have already been used or reprocessed, as well as B-goods.

Giving away used items is said to be particularly popular among younger people. 56 percent of 18 to 29 year olds want to do that for Christmas this year. Second-hand shopping has freed itself from its dusty, musty image, said IFH managing director Kai Hudetz. “This is good for the inflation-hit wallet and the environment.”

According to the survey, it is normal for two thirds of consumers to buy used products. The main reason for this is the cheaper price, but sustainability also plays a role. When looking for a product, many people first look for a used or remanufactured version.

According to retail expert Hudetz, the fact that people in Germany buy used items more often is also due to the sometimes significant price increases in recent years. The propensity to save has fallen slightly, but is still strong.

Particularly popular: books, fashion and electronics

The trend has been around for a long time. According to the study, the volume of the second-hand market in Germany has increased by an average of 8 percent per year since 2020; last year it was already more than 15 billion euros. Books, fashion and electronics are particularly popular. On some portals, used items can be offered by private individuals, on others by dealers who have previously purchased, checked and, if necessary, refurbished the products.

Used goods are not only available on the well-known online marketplaces Ebay, Amazon or Zalando. In addition, portals such as Refurbed, Backmarket, Medimops, Booklooker and Vinted have established themselves. The Rebuy platform sold around nine million media items to a new owner last year, 500,000 of which were used electronic devices. More than 210,000 smartphones were refurbished.

Big price advantages on used products

Electronics retailers such as Media Markt and Saturn also offer so-called refurbished products. Some of the providers also give their customers a guarantee on the products purchased.

According to the price comparison portal Idealo, customers can save significantly if they buy used instead of new. Second-hand tablets are on average 29 percent cheaper, smartphones 32 percent, and game consoles even more than 50 percent.