Geo: Europe
Area: Mass
Type: Market
Theme: Behavior
🌀 Key points
Germany leads resale with €6.5B in 2024
France and UK follow with €5.8B and €5.1B
Second-hand spending equals ~0.14% of GDP
💎 Data Gem
Second-hand is no longer second-rate. Europe's resale economy just hit €25 billion in 2024. And it's not Gen Z on Vinted — it’s everyone, everywhere, buying used.
🗺️ What’s the Maze?
The resale economy in Europe is officially big business. In 2024, it reached €25B, with Germany out in front at €6.5B — nearly the size of Croatia’s entire retail market. France (€5.8B) and the UK (€5.1B) round out the top 3. Even smaller markets like Poland (€1.3B), Italy (€2.4B), and Spain (€1.8B) are pulling their weight.
Here’s what the breakdown looks like:
🇩🇪 Germany: €6.5B, 0.14% of GDP
🇫🇷 France: €5.8B, 0.18% of GDP
🇬🇧 UK: €5.1B, 0.13% of GDP
🇮🇹 Italy: €2.4B, 0.10% of GDP
🇵🇱 Poland: €1.3B, 0.14% of GDP
🇪🇸 Spain: €1.8B, 0.11% of GDP
🇸🇪 Sweden: €0.9B, 0.14% of GDP
This growth isn’t just due to inflation-fatigued shoppers looking for bargains. It reflects a cultural shift: conscious consumption, digital thrift platforms, and circular economy mindsets.
Online platforms like Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, and eBay are becoming household names. And resale isn’t limited to fashion anymore. Furniture, tech, even toys are seeing second lives.
🏁 Why It Matters?
Resale is moving from the margins to the mainstream. For retailers and brands, that’s both a threat and an opportunity.
Here’s why this €25B market deserves boardroom attention:
New growth vertical: Vinted crossed €370M in revenue in 2023. Zalando is investing in pre-owned. Resale platforms are now category leaders.
Margin pressure: Every second-hand sale is a missed first-sale. Brands must adapt with take-back programs and re-commerce partnerships.
ESG goldmine: Circularity boosts sustainability KPIs. Investors love it, regulators are pushing it, and consumers demand it.
The resale wave is here to stay. From Germany’s structured used-goods logistics to Poland’s rapid growth, this market is both fragmented and accelerating. Expect more integrations, more regulation — and more billions on the line.e, many eco-conscious shoppers will stay stuck in the maze of good intentions.
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📖 Data Source
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