Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Second-hand market in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
In recent decades, globalization has made luxury goods and household items much more accessible. Goods that used to be more exclusive and harder to find, such as brand clothing and luxury cars, have been successfully increasing their market reach and sales. For instance, global sports clothing sales have been (and are expected to continue) increasing year on year, while the value of the personal luxury goods market has more than quadrupled in the last 25 years. Whereas the increase in consumerism arguably benefits the global economy, there is a downside to ‘fast fashion’ and conspicuous consumption. They result in large amounts of waste, produce dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, and often involve cheap labor. One way to tackle these issues is to resell and recycle consumer goods, in order to create a more circular economy. In the Netherlands, the second-hand market is already well-developed, and is expected to absorb even more of the 'traditional' retail market in the future.
