Austrians earn an estimated €600 million per year from private sales of used or second-hand goods, according to a study by Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz. On average, this amounts to just under €240 per private seller. According to the survey, 37 percent of Austrians sold used items in the past 12 months.
This places Austria in the top third of the EU-27 ranking by Eurostat. “The pioneers of the second-hand movement are especially found among the younger generations Y and Z,” said Ernst Gittenberger from JKU’s Institute for Retail, Sales and Marketing in a press release. The study results confirm this: 52 percent of Generation Y and 47 percent of Generation Z sell items on platforms like Willhaben, Vinted, and others. Among baby boomers, this share is significantly lower at just 19 percent.
Clothing Most Frequently Resold
Online resale has boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Clothing is the most frequently resold category. Over the past 12 months, 18 percent of Austrians sold clothing and shoes, followed by books and magazines (12 percent). Nine percent sold used furniture, garden tools, computers, and mobile phones. Earning money from unused belongings is an “important side benefit” of second-hand sales, the study notes. However, sustainability and “creating space” are central motivations.
The online survey of 1,035 people also revealed that selling on online platforms is often seen as tedious and time-consuming. This is mainly because potential buyers tend to aggressively haggle or fail to follow through after agreeing to a purchase.
