Singaporeans purchase secondhand seeking value and sustainability

Photo by cottonbro

According to the first Carousell Recommerce Index, led by Carousell Group, 74% of Singaporean users opt for secondhand because of its value for money.

This is higher than the Carousell Group’s average of 67%, and the third-highest market with an inclination towards pragmatism as their go-to reason for secondhand, closely after Hong Kong (82%) and Malaysia (78%).

Recommerce refers to the selling and buying of previously-owned products, including both new and used in condition. The Carousell Recommerce Index (2021 Report) is a Carousell Green initiative to highlight the importance of sustainability and recommerce in the Greater Southeast Asia region.

The report covers findings from four Carousell Group brands—Carousell, Cho Tot, Mudah and OneKyat—across eight markets—Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Singapore also ranks highly across various areas when it comes to sustainability and making secondhand the first choice. 30% of respondents, who have bought secondhand items before, say they choose to buy secondhand for environmental reasons. This is higher than the regional average of 21%, tying Singapore and Taiwan for second place.

Overall in the region, Fashion remains the top category with the most secondhand listings (29%). Women’s Fashion has consistently dominated the top spot across the region, and Men’s Fashion has grown increasingly popular to rank second.

This is similar for Singapore, with Women’s Fashion as the most popular secondhand category in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, Hobbies & Toys rose in demand by 29% to take first place from Women’s Fashion in Singapore, as more look to secondhand items for entertainment during the pandemic. With upcycling entering the public’s zeitgeist in the past few years, secondhand furniture has grown fivefold regionally in the past five years, and Furniture & Home Living category has consistently ranked third in Singapore for the most supply of secondhand listings

Lucas Ngoo, Co-founder, Carousell Group shared the Group’s use of AI and data to make buying secondhand trusted and convenient. “This, in turn, will help to solve the meaningful problem of overconsumption with recommerce and thus make secondhand the first choice for consumers,” he concluded