Is Shein’s UK rein coming to an end? Data commissioned by Amazon suggests it’s possible.
Britain’s secondhand shopping boom has mushroomed into a 4.3-billion-pound ($5.8 billion) marketplace. Online purchases of used goods are projected to reach $6.4 billion (4.8 billion pounds) in the United Kingdom this year, up from $5.8 billion in 2024, according to a report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) commissioned by Amazon.
At the Everything Store’s behest, the London-based economic consultancy’s survey of 10,000 adults across Europe revealed UK consumers saved a collective $5.6 billion in 2024 by opting for old over new, with more than half of Britons (54 percent) purchasing secondhand goods online last year.
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As shoppers continue spending on secondhand and reining in shopping, that figure is expected to increase.
“Britons are turning to secondhand shopping in large numbers,” Sam Littlejohn, Amazon’s head of returns and repairs, said in a statement. “But to supercharge the sector’s growth, customers need to trust buying a used product as much as buying new. The Amazon Resale team works hands-on to inspect and refurbish every item, delivering a reliable experience backed by Amazon’s customer service and return policies.”
The research center identified three key drivers behind Briton’s secondhand shift: cost-of-living pressures (31 percent), expanded product selection (26 percent), and growing environmental awareness (25 percent). Two-thirds (65 percent) of Brits bought secondhand goods online last year, with clothing (54 percent), smartphones and tablets (26 percent) and small household appliances (24 percent) charting the course.
“European consumers are embracing secondhand shopping like never before and it’s reshaping the retail landscape. We’re seeing incredible momentum, with financial pressures and the environmental benefits of keeping products in circulation, key motivations for shopping secondhand,” Littlejohn said. “[We’re] proud to support this shift with dedicated teams across Europe checking and refurbishing items for resale, making it easier than ever for customers to find quality, affordable, pre-loved products they can trust.”
In 2023, an estimated 6 percent of the Chinese ultra-fast-fashion brand’s sales came from across the pond, per GlobalData. Shein’s UK sales reached about $2 billion (1.55 billion pounds) that same year—a 38 percent revenue rise year-over-year ahead of the global e-commerce platform’s much-anticipated IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
A year later, secondhand product sales exceeded roughly $2.7 billion across Europe and the UK in 2024, another Amazon executive said.
“Customers are actively seeking secondhand items across a broad range of categories—from tech and fashion to home appliances,” said Mariangela Marseglia, vice president of EU stores at Amazon. “Reselling returned items isn’t just good for the planet and for business—it’s what our customers want.”
The region’s average monthly spending on pre-loved goods more than doubled over five years, hitting around $169 a month from a previous $79, the CEBR said. Furthermore, 27 percent of online secondhand purchases in the UK represented sales that “wouldn’t have happened without the used option being available,” per the report, which “shows how resale channels can create new buying opportunities that might not otherwise occur.”
“At Amazon, we believe that putting returned items back on sale isn’t just good for the planet and for business; it’s what our customers want,” said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager. “Our Second Chance sales in the UK and across Europe—including from Amazon Resale and Amazon Renewed, exceeded 2 billion pounds (1.7 billion pounds) in 2024—as we have expanded our used product selection. It’s clear that providing trustworthy, convenient access to quality, pre-owned items is resonating with today’s more conscious customers.”
Demographics revealed an evolving market, with 74 percent of people born after 1990 embracing secondhand shopping compared to 52 percent of the over-55 crowd. Perhaps most telling, per the report, is that 27 percent of Britons no longer believe that new is inherently better than used—what the research said signals “a meaningful shift in consumer attitudes” as priorities are shifting toward “practicality, affordability and environmental responsibility.”
The study also found that secondhand products now account for 34-45 percent of UK spending within popular categories like fashion, tech and home appliances.
Despite Second Chance’s “growing popularity,” Amazon said, barriers remain. The report identified product condition concerns (43 percent), lack of warranties (39 percent) and seller trust (29 percent) as key obstacles preventing wider adoption.
