Sales are slowing down, but second-hand is booming: in the last 12 months, more than half of Italians (56%) have purchased second-hand items. Repairs and tailoring are also making a comeback, and people are increasingly looking for recycled products. A consumer revolution driven by environmental awareness (but also by the desire to save money) Used, reused, repaired, recycled. Sensitivity to environmental issues and the search for savings are driving ‘second-hand’: in the last year, more than half of Italians have purchased at least one used item of clothing, shoes or accessories.
This is what emerges from an Ipsos survey for Confesercenti. A real boom, which is making the second-hand market soar, which according to our estimates is now worth more than 6 billion euros. Used goods on the web and in stores. In detail, 56% of those interviewed said they had turned, in the last 12 months, to online platforms for the sale of used products for their fashion purchases: 19% do so always (4%) or often (14%) – but the percentages rise to 8 and 19% respectively among young people between 18 and 34 – while 37% sometimes (22%) or rarely (15%).
There is also a strong demand for second-hand goods in physical stores and street markets, where 51% of consumers say they go: 20% always (5%) or often (15%), 32% sometimes (18%) or rarely (14%). Repair and recycle. Repairs are also gaining ground: 34% of the sample in the last year have always (8%) or often (26%) taken their clothing items to be repaired instead of buying them new, while 52% have done so sometimes (35%) or rarely (17%): only 14% say they have never done so. A trend confirmed by the return of tailoring shops, which are increasing again, with an increase of over 4% between 2014 and 2024. A growth driven above all by foreign entrepreneurs (+52%).
Among the new habits of consumers, the search for garments produced with recycled materials is increasingly asserting itself: 24% say they have purchased them always or often, 55% sometimes or rarely in the last year. The trend of sales.
The boom in second-hand goods is offset by the negative trend in end-of-season sales. During the summer sales, which have just ended in most Italian regions, 61.9% of small fashion distribution businesses recorded lower sales than last year, while only 27.9% reported stable performance and just 10.2% growth.
“While it is true that more and more people, for savings or sustainability, are turning to second-hand goods, the culture of fashion remains rooted in the DNA of Italians, as demonstrated by the search for designer products, even used ones, by the youngest”, comments Nico Gronchi, vice-president of Confesercenti.
“Certainly, however – he continues – it no longer has the weight it once had: the share of spending dedicated by families to fashion in 2023 was 5.2%, a real collapse when compared to the 13.6% of 1992. The trend towards reuse, not negative in itself, however determines non-positive implications for the fashion supply chain. In particular on the web, where the presence of a large quantity of ‘items with the tag’, in fact new, raises doubts about the presence of incorrect practices: there is a lack of controls. Instead, we should support eco-sustainable purchases in stores, also by investing in green corners dedicated to ‘certified’ used goods and products that use recycled materials. It would be an investment for the future: sustainability and digitalization will increasingly drive the economy, also influencing purchasing habits. Supporting widespread enterprise with tools and incentives that allow us to hook onto these major global trends will be one of the most important challenges to face in the coming years”.