In the United Kingdom, the Christmas spirit blows through second-hand gifts

A few days before Christmas in the upscale London district of Marylebone, second-hand shops are stocking up, a development driven by consumers keen to spend less, but also to help the circular economy.

In the store of the British charity Oxfam, with its window sparkling with decorations, shoppers can find clothes, toys and books at low prices.

“Since the end of September, we have seen a considerable increase in the number of people coming to our stores”tells AFP Ollie Mead, whose role is to showcase the objects in the association’s stores.

Second-hand charity shops are already very popular throughout the rest of the year in the UK. People come there to buy clothes, trinkets, books…

But online second-hand stores and sites are now increasingly popular for making Christmas gifts.

According to a report published in November by the second-hand clothing platform Vinted and the firm RetailEconomics, the British are expected to spend 2 billion pounds (2.4 billion euros) on second-hand Christmas gifts this year, or nearly 10% of the total of this market.

According to Oxfam, 33% of them will buy second-hand gifts in the United Kingdom in 2023, compared to 25% in 2021.

“There is an obvious change on Vinted”explains Adam Jay, one of its leaders, to AFP. “We noted an increase in the number of users who search with the keyword +gift+ between October and December, compared to the same period last year”.

“It’s nice to spend less and know that the money will go to a good cause”estimates Ed Burdett, a 50-year-old doctor met by AFP in another Oxfam store in London.

He found a key ring and a notebook there that he will give to his wife: “We try to save money, and she likes to give things a second life. It will be perfect for her”.

“Weird, eccentric”

Wayne Hemingway, designer and co-founder of Charity Super.Mkt, which sets up second-hand shops on depopulated shopping streets, has been offering second-hand Christmas gifts since “many years”.

“When I started doing it, it seemed weird, eccentric”he indicates.

Likewise, when he started selling second-hand clothing more than 40 years ago, “our sales always fell at Christmas because everyone wanted something new”.

Things have changed a lot since then. “Last weekend’s shopping was crazy”the store where he was located “was invaded”and all the chain’s stores recorded a 20% increase in sales in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Behind this trend, young consumers are increasingly aware of the impacts of the textile industry on the planet, and committed to “circular economy”he greets.

At the store checkout, Jennifer Odibo is not convinced.

This 56-year-old client who “love second hand” and has just bought a vintage jacket is not offered a second-hand gift to his loved ones.

“Christmas is a special time (…) I will go and buy something nice at Selfridges or Fenwick”two famous British department stores.

Wayne Hemingway recognizes that the idea of ​​buying new things for Christmas remains in the majority. “Things are changing little by little, there is still a long way to go”he puts things into perspective.

“It will be a real change if we manage to accept the idea that it is possible to offer a second-hand gift for this holiday”agrees Tetyana Solovey, sociology researcher at the University of Manchester.

“For some people it seems a bit strange (…) But on the contrary it could be a very sustainable approach” and solidarity, which would make this celebration even more “wonderful”she said.