Second-hand shopping is becoming a ‘more deeply embedded part of everyday life’, eBay has said in its 2026 Recommerce Report.
Consumers around the world are increasingly turning to recommerce to save money, avail of a greater selection, and for sustainability reasons, the report, which is based on a survey of more than 10,500 consumers and 1,700 eBay sellers across 10 markets, found.
Among the key findings are that 70% of global consumers consider second-hand shopping important for managing their household budgets, while 47% said that they purchase second-hand goods at least once a month, up from 35% last year.
Around three quarters (76%) said that they had purchased second-hand products over the past year, with 89% saying that they expect to spend the same or more on second-hand goods next year.
Some 28% of global respondents said that second-hand shopping was ‘very important’ in helping them to manage their household budgets, while this number rose to 36% in the United States, the study found.
Elsewhere, younger consumers are leading the shift towards recommerce, with 53% of 18-29 year olds saying that they expected to buy more second-hand products over the next 12 months, compared with 36% overall.
Important role
“Recommerce has been core to our marketplace for 30 years, and this year’s report makes clear that its role in people’s lives is only growing,” said Jamie Iannone, eBay chief executive.
“With more than two billion live eBay listings, consumers around the world are embracing second-hand for the affordability, quality, trust, and discovery it offers. eBay is proud to help power that global shift by connecting people with the products they love and the economic opportunity that recommerce creates.”
Sustainable shopping
Sustainability was also identified as an important factor in terms of consumer attitudes to second-hand sales, with 83% of those surveyed agreeing that recommerce has real environmental benefits. In addition, more than half (54%) valued the community element of second-hand shopping.
The report also identifies ‘significant opportunity’ to unlock more supply for the second-hand sales market, with 85% of the online platform’s sellers saying that they source second-hand inventory from their own belongings, ‘highlighting the potential to bring more of the items sitting in homes and closets back into circulation’, it noted. Read more here.
