eBay conducted a survey and discovered what most users already know: sellers are buyers, and buyers are sellers. The marketplace surveyed over 4,300 “consumer” sellers in North America and Europe in the fall.
Approximately 80% of the sellers responding to the survey said they also bought pre-owned goods in the last year, and 72% of US respondents said buying pre-owned products had become more common in recent years.
eBay also found that nearly three-quarters of sellers surveyed had begun selling pre-owned goods in 2020 for supplemental income, with 14% reporting that they had turned to selling because they lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
The survey also found that more people, particularly Generation Z, are turning to buying and selling secondhand goods online to support a healthier planet and sustainability efforts overall.
A majority (85%) of US respondents who sold pre-owned goods on eBay found the items at home from things they no longer used.
eBay found pre-owned technology and electronics items were the most popular and profitable, and apparel like sneakers, clothing and bags came in at a close second.
Almost one-third, or 28%, of US sellers said that technology and electronics items secure maximum sales, leading to over half of those surveyed, at 51%, focusing on selling such products.
Globally, 73% of survey respondents aged 18 to 24 say they were considering selling for the financial benefit – over double the average across all generations.
Gen Z is also buying more pre-owned goods than other generations, with 81% of 18- to 24-year-olds saying that buying pre-owned has become more common in the last year.
You can find the full announcement about the survey on the eBay corporate website, which links to more information about the survey on this page.
Remarkable that eBay needs to survey to know this. Isn’t this what all those highly paid “analyst” geniuses were supposed to already guess? Oh, excuse me. “Project”.
BTW, all you people out there. Don’t answer surveys. You are just doing others’ jobs for them.
A survey for what all ebay sellers have been saying to ebay when they screw us over. I’d love to see a survey of how many will continue to sell next year when the 1099 requires take effect.