This study shows the new passion of the Swiss

Although four out of five Swiss people regularly buy or sell goods on Ricardo, Ebay and others, they stand out from other European bargain hunters on several points.

Florence Vuichard / ch media

Sell ​​instead of throwing away. This motto is followed by more and more people in our country, whether it is an old, but still working mountain bike, dining room chairs that are now out of use or a dress evening dress that we only wore once.

Even more, second-hand selling has become a sort of national sport. Indeed, in no other European country are so many individuals selling second-hand products on the Internet as in Switzerland. This is what emerges from the latest barometer of online shoppers from parcel delivery service provider DPD, for which more than 24,000 people were surveyed in 22 countries, including a good thousand in Switzerland.

Among “regular” online shoppers, that is, those who shop online at least once a month, 57% use “customer-to-customer” platforms like Ricardo, Tutti, Ebay or Anibis for their sales. The Netherlands and Spain also reach comparatively high values ​​with 55% each. On the other hand, on a European average, “only” 46% of regular online shoppers surveyed say they use such customer-to-customer platforms.

According to the DPD barometer, people surveyed in our country justify their desire to sell mainly by two concerns: they want to give away products that are intact but which they no longer need and thus contribute to the circular economy. And they want to make room at home. The financial objective, that is to say the intention to earn a little money from the sale, only comes in third place.

The situation is different for buyers. By far the most commonly cited reason (55%) for shopping Ricardo and others is, unsurprisingly, the great price. Next comes support for the circular economy, although this one is only a concern for a good third.

Many sell, few buy

The number of people using customer-to-customer platforms is increasing. Last year, 76% of local online shoppers said they buy and sell second-hand items on the Internet. In the latest survey, there are already 82% – of which 34% present themselves solely as sellers. The share of this group even increased disproportionately compared to the previous year, which strengthens the image of the special case of shopping in Switzerland. While in our country the number of people who sell second-hand goods on the Internet is above average, the number of people who buy on second-hand platforms is lower than average. Only 48% of regular online shoppers buy items on Ebay and others, while the European average is 58%.

Another Swiss passion ????

In Switzerland, the people surveyed buy something from individuals online on average eleven times a year. The delivery of the goods takes place in person in 50% of cases. On the European average, this figure is only 32%.

The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic

Overall, the number of users of second-hand platforms has increased “significantly” across Europe since 2020, as shown by the Online Shopping Barometer. And it will still “increase sharply”, as Tilman Schultze, head of DPD Switzerland, adds. The study authors attribute this increase to two key trends:

High inflation has massively reduced purchasing power in many countrieswhich likely benefited cheaper second-hand platforms.

In Switzerland too, the increase is due to the pandemic. Certainly, the increase in prices was less marked there. But many took advantage of the lockdown to clean out their cellars and apartments. This would in any case explain why the lack of space is one of the main sales drivers here.

(Translated and adapted by Chiara Lecca)