Survey: Lower prices, value among top perks of online resale shopping
Gen Z is continuing to lead the charge when it comes to buying items secondhand online.
More than 57% of Gen Z respondents in agentic post-purchase platform Seel's survey of 1,100 U.S. consumers bought secondhand or resale online in the past 12 months. This compared to 52.8% of millennials and just 26.2% of Gen X.
Among active secondhand buyers in all age groups, the top motivations are lower price (54.8%), better value for premium or branded items (39.9%) and positive past experience (38.1%). Environmental or sustainability reasons, while still important, rank lower at 27.8%.
[READ MORE: Survey: Interest in pre-owned luxury goods continues to grow]
Among non-buyers, Seel noted that the top barriers are uncertainty about seller or platform reliability (24.0%), a preference for new items (24.5%) and concerns about product quality or condition (23.2%).
The survey found that poor return or refund experiences are directly costing brands both conversions and long-term loyalty, even in the resale market. Roughly six-in-10 Gen Z respondents say they have decided not to buy something online because of the return policy, while 57.1% of Gen Z respondents say they have stopped shopping with a brand because of a poor return or refund experience. Both of these metrics outpace older age cohorts.
Seel noted that building confidence and trust starts with the experience after the sale. More than a third (35%) Gen Z respondents said customer reviews are among the top factors that build confidence in a secondhand purchase. A large majority (86.3%) of Gen Z respondents expect an issue to be resolved within two to three days or faster, and just 1.1% say longer than a week is acceptable.
Across all ages surveyed, consumer electronics and fashion are the top two categories for post-purchase protection demand, with nearly three-quarters (76.5%) of consumers saying checkout protection increases purchase likelihood.
"Gen Z is already buying secondhand in record numbers,” said Laura Huddle, chief revenue officer of Seel. “But the category's next phase of growth will be won by platforms and retailers that invest in trust. The brands that win customer loyalty long-term aren’t going to be the ones with just the best product selection – they’re going to be the ones that make it easy to come back if a return or exchange needs to be processed.”
