67 per cent of UK sellers on eBay started selling pre-owned goods to make extra cash in 2020.

eBay’s ‘recommerce report’ also found that 81 per cent of British customers had bought second-hand goods over the past 12 months.

The research surveyed the 4,330 of the company’s consumer-to-consumer (C2C) sellers across the UK, Canada, Germany, and France.

According to the data, the average UK household has on average 31 items lying around the house that could be worth over £800, with people in the past year trying to make the most of this untapped economic opportunity.

The study also found that sustainability was important to UK sellers.

32 per cent of those surveyed said that they sell pre-owned items because of its positive environmental impact.

“Not only does the growing recommerce market create economic opportunity for sellers and help customers shop more thriftly, but it’s also great to see the circular economy in action as our sellers promote more sustainable shopping habits," said Emma Grant, head of pre-loved, eBay UK. "Recommerce has always been at the heart of eBay and supporting the transition to a more sustainability-conscious society is hugely important to us, while making sure both buyers and sellers benefit from the economic opportunity that we see it brings.”

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