Geo: Europe
Area: Fashion
Type: Market
Theme: Resell
🌀 Key points
Clothing makes up 70% of Spain’s resale market
Fashion leads resale across Germany, UK, France, and Italy
Other categories include tech, tools, and home goods
💎 Data Gem
Europe isn’t just buying used — it’s wearing it. And in Spain, second-hand means one thing: clothing.
🗺️ What’s the Maze?
Clothing has become the undisputed king of Europe’s resale market. In Spain, it accounts for 70% of all second-hand sales. That’s not a typo — seven in ten euros spent in Spanish resale go toward fashion.
And Spain isn’t alone.
Germany: ~55% of resale is clothing
France: ~60%
UK: ~58%
Italy: ~58%
Spain: 70%
Other categories — like tech, tools, home goods, and leisure — are growing slowly, but fashion clearly dominates. Consumers are voting with their wallets and closets.
The data paints a clear picture: clothing is the entry point into second-hand. Platforms like Vinted, Depop, and Wallapop have made it easy, fast, and culturally accepted to buy a pre-loved Zara coat or Nike hoodie.
🏁 Why It Matters?
Clothing is doing for resale what books did for e-commerce — it’s the wedge.
Why fashion leads resale in Europe:
Faster turnover: Trends change, and people refresh wardrobes more than furniture
High margins: Low shipping cost, low depreciation, high perceived value
Low trust barrier: It’s easier to buy a used jacket than a used microwave
This has big implications:
For brands: Retailers must consider buyback, re-commerce, and circular offerings
For platforms: Growth lies in expanding beyond fashion — to tech, tools, toys
For investors: Fashion resale is a launchpad, but the next €10B will come from new verticals
Bottom line? Clothing resale is the engine — but other categories will hitch a ride as circularity becomes the new normal in shopping.
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📖 Data Source
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