Appeal of secondhand gifts
Supply chain delays adding extra incentive for holiday shoppers to try resale items
NEW YORK — Second hand. Like new. Thrift. Buy nothing. Gently used. There are lots of ways to describe consumption in the booming resale market.
Add “Merry Christmas!” to the list.
Resale has taken off among those looking to save the planet and spend less on gifts during what can be the most wasteful time of the year — the December holidays. This year’s supply chain delays have provided extra motivation.
“Gifting at its core should be about thoughtfulness, and arguably more thought is put into finding a meaningful, interesting secondhand gift for someone than just hitting the ‘buy’ button on something everyone is getting from Amazon,” said Ashlee Piper, a sustainability expert and author of “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.”
One of her favorite gifts ever was a tattered copy of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” that a friend found for $2 at a thrift shop.
“It’s kitschy, thoughtful and totally unique,” Piper said.
The resale market is far from dominant overall and spans all ages. Industry reports have said the recent gains are driven mainly by Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.
Players large and small are reaping the benefits.
Luxury resale marketplace The RealReal, which has more than 23 million members after going public more than two years ago, said it saw a 60% jump last year over the year before among those choosing gift boxes with purchases during the holiday season. Last month, the online site, which has 16 brick-and-mortar consignment stores around the U.S., saw orders with gift boxes rise by 73% over the same month last year for unbranded jewelry. Such purchases were up 62% for Gucci items and 53% for Louis Vuitton selections, according to company data.
“The stigma is gone,” said Marshal Cohen, a consumer behavior and retail analyst for the NPD Group. “
Sales of gift cards for online thrift giant ThredUp, which went public earlier this year, were up 103% during the first two weeks of December compared to the entire month of November, said Erin Wallace, vice president of integrated marketing.
“Resale doesn’t necessarily mean used.
A lot of resellers resell new items that are currently scarce as they’ve planned their inventory for months to accommodate holiday shopping demands,” said Clara Albornoz, co-founder and CEO. “Buyers can see a variety of options, easily price compare, shop from their home, get their items quickly and affordably, and delivered straight to them, usually with opportunities to return if there are any issues.”
Another company, Recurate, enables brands to create their own resale platforms on their websites.
“Recurate’s sales over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday week were over 50% higher than average,” said Karin Dillie, vice president of partnerships. She said customers are seeking resale items “to satisfy their own deal hunting as well as to purchase as gifts.”
Appealing specifically to Gen Z, the resale marketplace Galaxy provides live shows for buyers and sellers to interact in real time. It recently hosted a five-day holiday event involving 40 top sellers.
“By being able to have real time conversations through live video and SMS messaging, sellers and shoppers get to build a relationship. This often leads to sellers becoming trusted curators of your wardrobe and your holiday shopping,” said Danny Quick, co-founder and CEO.