Could Santa Claus be offended? For a few hours, individuals have been reselling the gifts received on Sunday, December 25 under the tree en masse. The platforms are seeing, as every year, an increase in the publication of second-hand classified ads. At Rakuten France, the movement is even higher than last year, says the platform to AFP.
Increase in ads this year
Sunday at 3 p.m., 650,000 new ads had been posted since the start of the day. A real boost on the second-hand market, which represents an increase of 8% compared to last year. Too original concept, toy without interest or duplicate, clothing too small or too big… Individuals no longer hesitate to part with a Christmas present a few hours after unwrapping it.
This year, the phenomenon is reinforced by the drop in purchasing power. The galloping inflation since the beginning of the year is eroding the portfolio of the French. Reselling a gift allows you to collect a few euros to buy a product more suited to your needs. “Once perhaps taboo, the resale of gifts is now quite anchored in the habits of the French“, assures Flora Louvet, communication manager of Rakuten France to our colleagues.
In 2022, “we are really on a very purchasing power aspect. It’s a real budget boost for both the retailer and the buyer.“, details the spokesperson.
A peak 30 days after Christmas
For a relatively recent product, the discount is generally 15%. On an older item, the discount can approach 70% of the starting price. Clothing, high-tech products, books… On Leboncoin too, the classified ads were legion 24 hours after Christmas. On the Ebay side, the 100,000 ads were exceeded around noon on Sunday. A stable movement that is part of “normal tendencies“, “quite faithful to forecasts“, according to Louise Benzrihem, eBay France project manager.
According to the specialist, the market could rebound in a few days, “approximately 30 days after Christmas, once the period for returning the goods has expired.“Great opportunities could arise for the lucky ones.
The effervescence of second-hand sales also benefits the planet and helps to fight against the overconsumption that characterizes the end of the year celebrations.