OfferUp Recommerce Report: Don’t Be Shy To Give Pre-Owned Holiday Gifts in 2022. The Majority of Americans Are Just Fine With It!

Can recommerce save the holiday season for some online merchants? A new report from OfferUp looked at how Americans perceive giving and receiving previously owned holiday gifts.

In a nutshell, the report found that soaring inflation and concerns about product availability have increased the willingness of Americans to consider pre-owned products.

51% said they are turning to recommerce (or purchases from resellers) to avoid inflated prices. OfferUp’s survey found that 43% of shoppers noticed prices are considerably higher than ever before.

Comparison shopping is becoming the norm with 86% saying they are likely to price check a gift on online resale platforms before buying it at retail.

In addition, 29% see pre-owned gifts as a way to find out-of-stock items.

But concerns about shipping delays (27%) and the stress of shopping in-store (26%) are also affecting the decision to buy through resale.

Additional data shows that the stigma of pre-owned items has decreased as more shoppers are looking for bargains as a way to save money.

75% of Americans said they are more open to giving pre-owned gifts, and even a larger number (82%) have no qualms about receiving a pre-owned gift.

In addition, 74% agree that gifting pre-owned items is more socially acceptable than ever before.

Recommerce is Growing

These findings shouldn’t be surprising as OfferUp released its annual recommerce report earlier this year highlighting the meteoric rise of sales in pre-owned items.

In 2021, selling previously owned, new or used products grew by nearly 15%. Gen Z and younger people pointed to sustainability as the primary reason to buy secondhand items, with inflation being a secondary factor.

But as inflation continued to force Americans to tighten their wallets, it clearly became a more significant factor going into the holiday season, across all demographics.

While online inflation may be easing a bit, sustainability will continue to be a dominant factor.

The trend may even continue to fuel the growth further as younger people are increasingly becoming more vocal in the climate change discussion, pushing governments to do more.

Earlier this year, OfferUp’s recommence report said it expected recommerce to reach $178 billion in 2022 and $289 billion by 2027. Could these expectations end up on the low end, at least for 2027?

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