As of this week, shopping for and promoting second hand garments is freed from charges on eBay in the UK. By doing so, it needs to encourage extra customers to have interaction in recommerce, enabling a round economic system for vogue. It is usually launching new options to make it simpler to seek out pre-owned objects.

Promoting pre-owned clothes can now be completed with out charges on the platform. Nevertheless, the removing doesn’t apply to sneakers, watches, purses and jewellery. Sellers will nonetheless must pay a charge for these second hand objects.

Solely 25% of UK customers promote pre-owned garments

Based on the web market’s personal analysis, 70 p.c of individuals dwelling in the UK put on 50 p.c or much less of their wardrobe on a day-to-day foundation. And 92 p.c say they’ve a couple of clothes merchandise that they haven’t worn previously 12 months. But, solely 25 p.c of customers promote their undesirable garments.

‘Individuals in the UK personal 19 billion euros value of unworn garments.’

The analysis says that the typical client has over 466 euros (400 British kilos) value of clothes that they don’t put on. In complete, folks in the UK collectively personal 19 billion euros (16.3 billion British kilos) value of unworn garments.

Growing consumer numbers

With the removing of vendor and purchaser charges on pre-worn clothes, the platform needs to encourage people to promote and purchase a majority of these merchandise extra typically. Final 12 months, a survey indicated that eBay was going through a declining variety of cellular app customers in the UK. The brand new replace may be a solution to enhance consumer numbers.

New options

Present pre-owned vogue listings on eBay UK will even profit from free promoting, even when they have been listed earlier than this week. The platform can also be including AI-generated merchandise descriptions, which can make it simpler and faster for sellers so as to add descriptions to their product listings. Moreover, consumers can profit from a customized buying expertise, with custom-made feeds and visible searches that assist them discover objects faster.

‘eBay can also be piloting a livestream buying expertise in the UK within the coming weeks.’

Within the coming weeks, eBay UK can also be piloting a livestream buying expertise. With this operate, customers can attend reside auctions, and get unique offers. This function was launched in the USA in 2022, the place it’s typically used.

‘Free promoting will assist to promote garments simply’

“Free vogue promoting has come on the proper time for a nation sitting on billions of kilos value of undesirable garments. We all know promoting garments can typically really feel like a chore, so free promoting and new updates like new AI-powered listings, will assist extra of us to promote garments simply – placing extra cash in pockets. By encouraging extra folks to purchase and promote pre-loved clothes, we’ll hold extra garments out of landfill as we collectively allow a round economic system for vogue”, says Kirsty Keoghan, Basic supervisor of International Trend for eBay.

‘By encouraging extra folks to purchase pre-loved clothes, we hold extra garments out of landfill.’

Based on the platform, in 2023 it saved greater than 1.6 million kilograms of waste going to landfill by way of the sale of pre-owned vogue. That is equal to the burden of greater than 4 million shirts.