Poles are happy to give things a second life. The number of second hand shops has stopped declining
Just a few years ago, second-hand shops were disappearing from the retail landscape – at the rate of 2,000. stores per year. This trend has reversed and second-hand shops do not complain about the lack of customers. At the same time, the reasons why customers look at second hand shops are changing.
At the beginning of the 21st century, second-hand shops were the only stores where an average Pole could buy western clothes, which were generally considered better. Shops tempted with information about original clothes from Great Britain or Scandinavia, and Poles were looking for trousers or jackets in which they would feel like richer cousins from the West.
Second-hand clothing stores. Almost 14,000 points
Those for whom new clothes from stores or bazaars were too expensive also bought second-hand clothes. 20 years ago, probably in every commune there was at least one second hand shop, and entering it for some customers was associated with a sense of shame. A lot has changed over the years. The number of second-hand shops decreased but stabilized at 13.9 thousand. There is a third motivation for buyers: the reluctance to generate the pollution that results from the production of clothes.
The global clothing industry is responsible for nearly 10 percent of global CO2 emissions. Another problem of this industry is the intensive consumption of raw materials, including water, which is one of the most important elements of production. More than 6,800 liters of water are used to produce one pair of jeans.
– More and more people are aware of the negative impact of the production of new goods on the environment. Buying second-hand goods allows you to reduce the consumption of raw materials and emission of pollutants, said Jolanta Tkaczyk, head of the Marketing Department at Kozminski University, quoted by Rzeczpospolita. This makes them sought after by people who value originality and style. Many people believe that older goods were better made and more durable than new ones, and additionally they are original.
Used from the internet
Second-hand items are also traded online. The most popular platform created for selling second-hand goods is Vinted, but second-hand clothes, shoes, ceramics and jewelry can also be bought on OLX or Allegro.
In 2023, Allegro Lokalnie recorded double-digit increases in the number of visits. According to data from the last four weeks, the number of visits to the site has increased by almost 25 percent. Every year. – We are currently seeing the greatest increase in interest in second-hand items in the “for children” and “home and garden” categories, Marcin Gruszka, a spokesman for the Allegro Group, told Rzeczpospolita.
