Vancouverites lead the country in the buying and selling of used goods according to Kijiji’s Second-Hand Economy Index. The second annual index report by the online classified and advertising service indicates a growing second-hand economy which includes buying, selling, renting, donating and even swapping.
The second-hand economy includes mediums like Kijiji, Craigslist, thrift stores and swap meets. Aside from contributing up to $36 billion to the Canadian economy last year, there are other benefits to be reaped. On average Canadians saved $480 and earned about $883 through the purchasing and selling of used goods. The report suggests that an average family of four in Canada saves $1,150 per year when they buy second-hand.
Reusing items also goes a long way to helping the environment by reducing the country’s ecological footprint and moving away from a “throw-away society.” On average, Canadians gave a second life to 76 products in 22 categories including baby clothing and cars. “By making products last longer, and getting more out of them, consumers can maintain a high standard of living while staying within the bounds of environmental sustainability.”
The top three categories of goods that are acquired and disposed:
- clothing, shoes, fashion accessories
- entertainment equipment
- baby clothing & accessories
Kijiji is a leading online classified service and top website in Canada. It is owned by eBay where it started in 2005 as a start-up and is now available in hundreds of cities around the world.
The report’s survey of 6000 Canadians show Kijiji as the most used channel for second-hand practices at 17% ahead of Craigslist at 3%. Other channels include:
- family, friends, acquaintances (non-social network) 15%
- family, friends, acquaintances (social network) 15%
- garage sales 5%
- eBay 2%
- Amazon 1%
Written by: Amar Mirchandani @amarmirch
Image via Wikipedia
