Once, used items for sale were merely “secondhand”, passed from one person’s hand to another’s. Then they became “vintage”, an aspirational rebranding with intimations of treasure, perhaps mildly incongruous when applied to the cheap, or not that old. Today they are “pre-loved”; perhaps the best euphemism yet, although it does leave you wondering why the love has died.
Whatever we are to call this market, it is growing. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, “the pre-loved economy” is now worth an estimated £6.5 billion, almost half as much again since 2020. In the next five years, it is expected to double. Part of this is due to environmentalism on the part of buyers, but it is also due to thrift. Struggling sellers, meanwhile, are keen to unlock cash not only in the attic, but in the cupboard and the wardrobe, too.
Also, the garage. Vehicles make up a third of the value of the pre-loved market, probably due to manufacturer shortages, despite “pre-loved” being a curious way to describe an old van.
Clothes tend to be worth less than motor vehicles, but female and male attire together make up a sizeable proportion of items bought used, as do books. After decades of concern about environmentally frivolous over-consumption, this is wholly good news. Even trends towards “fast fashion” (cheap clothing worn only once or twice) feel less alarming if they are subsequently worn, or even loved, by somebody else.