Second-hand shopping: Habits and attitudes

This report presents the findings of an independent survey conducted with 1,000 adults from across Scotland. The survey, which included 37 questions on second-hand reuse, as well as additional questions on repair and borrowing, aimed to capture a comprehensive view of current consumer attitudes and behaviours.

This information is crucial for informing the reuse sector about consumer habits and understanding future trends in reuse. This, in turn, will guide future support and initiatives in this area.

Key findings:

• The results indicated that 77% of Scots bought second hand goods in the previous 12 months. This included 29% that had shopped second hand both in-store and online, 28% that had purchased in-store only and 20% that shopped for second hand goods online only. 23% had not shopped for second hand goods. 
• Buying second hand is far more popular amongst young people than it is with older people (88% of those aged 16-34 vs 63% of those aged 65+).
• 48% of those surveyed agreed that if the quality, safety and cleanliness of an item could be demonstrated they would be more likely to purchase them, a further 31% said maybe, and 17% said it would depend on the item