Signal 30% buy apparel secondhand and nearly half do services themselves that they used to pay for

Summary

McKinsey reports that alternative consumption models, including the recommerce market for used and refurbished goods, are gaining ground. Thirty percent of surveyed consumers say they buy clothing secondhand, and more than 20 percent say they do so across categories more generally. Nearly half say they now handle services themselves that they once paid others to do. Examples include simple home repairs, haircuts and beauty treatments. Recommerce, as the report defines it, spans resale marketplaces, peer-to-peer platforms, consignment and brand-run trade-in or buyback schemes. Together these behaviours show consumers replacing new purchases and paid services with cheaper alternatives.