#second hand retail

[earaercircular]

Flea market trendy when inflation rises

In recent years, interest in the circular trade has increased and sales in the second-hand market seem to be given another boost by the current economic situation.

Used stuff is already a clear trend. High inflation is now expected to lift the industry further. "It is the wallet that governs, both for buyers and sellers," says Robin Suwe, CEO of Blocket.[1]

"It is an old truth that in turbulent times, the second-hand trade increases because people are more worried about their finances, and we are now seeing that again," says Åsa Blomberg, marketing and communications manager at Myrorna.[2]

More sellers and buyers

During the month of May, the number of ads on the auction site Tradera[3] increased by six percent compared to April and the trend is believed to continue, says press officer Sofia Hagelin. "In bad times, Swedes hold on to their wallets harder and then the second-hand trade is usually an attractive alternative," she tells TT via email.

Myrorna, that also advertises goods on Tradera, increased online sales significantly during the pandemic. Since then, sales both in-store and online have continued to rise. "It is a general increase that is in," says Åsa Blomberg.

In the first week of June, 178 percent more ads were posted on Blocket. “It is true that this is an effect of the company having just abolished the fees for several advertising categories, but the increased commitment was already visible before”, says CEO Robin Suwe. "It is the wallet that governs, both for buyers and sellers."

More expensive flea market findings

The average prices of goods sold on Tradera's site have increased by five percent in the last three months. “Mopeds, cameras, fishing gear and exclusive watches are examples of things that are becoming more expensive”, Hagelin states. "In clothing and shoes, for example, where the supply is large, price increases are moderate, while in categories where the supply is smaller than demand, average prices stand out significantly," she writes to TT.

At Blocket, goods in the categories sofas and armchairs, garden and patio and clothes and shoes are increasing the most. The median price for goods in the garden and patio was SEK 1,500 (144 EUR) in April, an increase of 20 percent compared with the same period last year. "Overall, we have seen a fairly large increase in average prices," says Suwe.

In stores, Myrorna does not have the opportunity to adjust prices as quickly as new retail, so there has been no clear change. What is advertised online is always outsourced for a penny. "We see that more people are in and peeking and bidding and this usually results in prices rising," says Blomberg.

The antique market can become trendy

The price of used cars, which rose in late 2021 and early 2022, is still rising. The reason is lack of components due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. "Electric cars, that are relatively new in the used market, have increased by almost 90 percent in price over the past year," says Suwe. Going forward, the Blocket CEO believes that antique items can get a boost, the value of these tends to persist and can be seen as a good investment.

Flash of light for the climate

It is an exciting situation for the second-hand market right now, says Blomberg, and says that we have also become better at sorting what is submitted to Myrorna. The raising inflow does not affect the quality of the goods and remains still relatively constant. "The positive thing about this less favourable economic climate is that the transition to a more circular trade can go faster," says Blomberg.

Source

TT: Loppis poppis när inflationen stiger, in: Aftonbladet, 18-06-2022, https://www.aftonbladet.se/minekonomi/a/z7qAJb/loppis-poppis-nar-inflationen-stiger

[1]  Blocket promotes itself as the largest market place in Sweden. Blocket has been started in 1996 in Fjälkinge by Henrik Nordström and was then mainly a regional gadget market in Skåne. After a few years, Blocket expanded to offer buy and sell ads throughout the country. Today, Blocket is a marketplace where you can find pretty much everything you need - everything from designer furniture and prams to cars and jobs. https://www.blocket.se/om

[2] Myrorna is Sweden's oldest store chain when it comes to collecting clothes and furnishings that can be reused. With stores all over the country, they work daily for a more sustainable and humane world. The brand Mynorna can be translated as “The ants”. https://www.myrorna.se/

[3] Every week Tradera is visited over 6 million times and every three seconds a change of owner. 1000 cases per hour. For over twenty years, Tradera has been working with circular consumption. But perhaps it has never been more relevant than today. At a time when new things and clothes are becoming both cheaper and more accessible, our role to stand for more sustainable action is more important than ever. It costs nothing to try Tradera, you only pay when you have got something sold! https://www.tradera.com/info/om-oss/

[blackbackedjackal]

Idk where a lot of private collectors buy thier stuff because 90% of my collection is from eBay or etsy.

[variantia]

BELLUM.   *trips and falls down the stairs, somehow miraculously landing on the dash*

HI I’M HERE AND NOW I’M ALL Y’ALL’S PROBLEM

[charliespringsdimples]

Do not fucking go into second hand book retail. It’s a hellscape. Do not. Fucking. Do. It.

[bumpscosity]

Can the new shadow high dolls leak already doll news is so boring rn

[appalamutte]

someone asks me the simplest question at work and my brain malfunctions to the point i overcomplicate the answer past saving

[haram-jaan]

[aliferous-ly]

thinking about c!sam as warden as a tired retail employee 10 minutes to close makes every warden interaction 1000x funnier 

[talesfromacharityshop]

Surreal event just happened in my shop.

Guy comes in, sketchy type but seems harmless, keep an eye on him anyway. About 2 minutes later the police rock up to my shop and take him aside and say another shop have identified him as a shoplifter. He denies it and kicks up a stink. Police handcuff him and take him outside to van to talk to him.

Don't really hear conversation after that unfortunately. Police let him go as I assume he hasn't stolen anything. He did try to get Police to sign a bit of paper to say he's innocent. Just before Police drive off he shouts:

"I am a shoplifter, I will always be a shoplifter but I didn't steal today"

Safe to say he'll be banned when he comes into my shop next.

[girlsdressingrooms]

‘SVALKA.spb’, St. Petersburg, Russia,

designed by MPTNS,

Images by anton ivanov

[earaercircular]

Second-hand, good for climate and employment

The second-hand market is booming like never before, also when it comes to employment. We took a closer look at the –originally Lithuanian - Think Twice-shop in Ghent (B). "I prefer not to contribute to the throwaway culture of fast fashion."

"Everything for 2 euros." Under a soft midday sun, a dozen young people queue up in front of the Ghent branch of Think Twice, a clothing chain specializing in vintage, second-hand. A sale attracts a lot of candidates, but due to corona the number of customers inside is limited to eight. Once inside, they have a maximum of half an hour to search the increasingly emptying clothes racks.

The fact that a sale is being organized today is a bonus, "but I also come here if no discounts are given," says Magali Lauwers as she sits down. The young architect consciously chooses second-hand to limit her environmental impact. "A friend once convinced me," she says. "I think it is important that we use scarce materials sparingly."

Shalva Nikuashvili also prefers not to contribute to the "throwaway culture" of fast fashion, and the "overproduction" by large clothing chains. "I don't like the way they work and interact with their employees," said Nikuashvili, who used to work at nothing less than H&M. "Think Twice is also a chain, but it has a better approach."

Almost exclusively young people line up here today. Especially for students, the low prices - in addition to sustainability - are an important argument. Several customers who did not find what they were looking for at the sale on Ajuinlei, we see again later in the Nederkouter, where Think Twice has a second location. There are people waiting at both stores, and in the otherwise sparsely populated shopping streets the striking paper shopping bags immediately catch the eye.

Job engine

If second-hand clothing has been gaining in popularity in recent years , Think Twice, which is originally Lithuanian, is an excellent illustration. The first Belgian branch was opened in 2007, now there are ten. "Their growing success is undeniable," says Joi Herremans, who has consciously opted for second-hand for years. "I can only applaud it, but it does make it harder for me to find clothes myself."

This growth also translates into employment. Think Twice now employs 65 people, says director Joseph Carmichael. "Not only in the stores themselves, but also in the depots and the back office." The retail chain is no exception. The circular economy is becoming an increasingly important job engine in Flanders. Over the past ten years, the number of jobs has grown almost three times faster than in the general economy, according to a new study by the Policy Research Center for Circular Economy and research consortium Michelle at the request of the Flemish government. Since 2008, the circular economy has created roughly 6,000 jobs, an increase of 16.4 percent, while general employment increased by 5.8 percent. The growth was mainly in the second-hand sector and rental and leasing services.

"Underestimation"

Today, more than 43,000 people work in the Flemish circular economy (out of more than 2.8 million working Flemish people), the study shows. "But that's an underestimate," says research leader Kris Bachus (Hiva-KU Leuven). "We only counted the jobs in the sectors that we already consider fully circular. The construction sector, for example, is almost completely excluded, while it also has many circular activities. " Since 2016, job growth in the circular economy has shifted up a gear. -Only last year, after the corona crisis broke out, was a slight decline recorded. "But further growth is expected in the longer term," says Bachus. He refers to earlier models of the Policy Research Center for Circular Economy that predict that an additional 30,000 jobs could be created in Flanders by 2030. The Flemish government, which wants to be a pioneer in the circular economy, sees its "ambition reinforced" with the study, says Flemish Minister of the Environment Zuhal Demir. According to Minister of Work Hilde Crevits, the study also shows that striving for a circular economy "is not only good for the climate, but also for more sustainable job creation". Because on average there are more short and medium-skilled workers in the sector (whose unemployment is sensitively higher than among the highly skilled), this means that extra profit can be made.

In its recovery plan, the Flemish government has therefore set aside 45 million euros for research and innovation in the circular economy.

Source

Korneel Delbeke, Tweedehands, goed voor het klimaat en de tewerkstelling, in: De Standaard, 4 May 2021 https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20210503_97402624

[elladastinkardiamou]

Athens is full of thrift stores, vintage shops, and secondhand retailers for all those hunting for unique fashion finds or environmentally friendly clothing options.

Fashion lovers have long hunted for special clothing items and accessories at vintage, secondhand, and thrift stores, but the practice has only recently become a trend.

In the past, people usually didn’t openly discuss buying secondhand clothes, as there was a perception that it was unhygienic or a sign that one couldn’t afford new togs.

In Greece, this idea is unfortunately still quite strong, which has caused many secondhand and thrift stores to hide their true natures, calling themselves names like “Italian outlets.” Younger Greeks have embraced thrift shopping, however.

Now, “thrifting” has become a common way to find new clothing that is not only affordable, but also trendy and more environmentally friendly.

[lesbianstarlightglimmer]

customers are really something else. they drop their meal box on the counter and expect me to know whats wrong with it by reading their mind

[hazeweald]

im in denial over the fact that we might not be getting reese & cyrus' retail shop bc they've had a repurposed "use" in the wedding season update

[carbonatedspace]

If your a customer and you put change on the counter for me to pick up people stop doing that it is so disrespectful.

[cyberstabbing]

OK before I crash I just want you guys to know that I just dress really well right now like a few years back I had an awful sense of style nothing was working for me but now now things are working things are Poppin I'm using voice audio to text speak whatever but yeah like I'm on the street and like people are like oh wow you know it's scary but like actually do you like the interesting right now which is cool anyways