Carousell report finds Philippines most receptive to secondhand in the region

“Recommerce offers the second-best sustainable option by extending the life cycle of each garment and material, keeping it out of landfills, and replacing the need to produce new items, and limiting consumption. Since the pandemic drastically changed consumer behavior in the past months, we came up with  the Carousell Recommerce Index to find out  where we are now, and what we can do to encourage Filipinos to consider buying  secondhand as their first choice to promote a circular economy and encourage them to practice a  more sustainable lifestyle.“ ~Ralph Garcia, Country MarketingHead, Carousell Philippines

The Philippines is the most receptive market for secondhand goods in the Greater Southeast Asian region. This is one of the findings in the inaugural Carousell Recommerce Index (2021 report), a Carousell Green initiative that highlights the importance of sustainability and recommerce in the region. The report is part of several programs organized by Carousell Group, the leading classifieds group in Greater Southeast Asia, to help address the issue of overconsumption and covers findings from four Carousell Group brands namely Carousell, Cho Tot, Mudah.my and OneKyat, across eight markets - Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, involving over 3,000 buyers and sellers. 

Recommerce refers to the selling and buying of previously-owned products, including both new and used in condition. In the Philippines, 92% of consumers responded that they’ve bought secondhand items including unused and brand-new items by casual everyday sellers. This is the highest among all Carousell Group markets. It was shown that 58% percent of Filipino online consumers are most comfortable buying secondhand apparel, while 75% of Filipino merchants choose to sell secondhand apparel.

When it comes to buying secondhand items, 74% of Filipino consumers prefer purchasing secondhand items due to their affordable price, while 72% of consumers who have never bought a secondhand item said that having authentication and warranty of products will motivate them to buy secondhand items. 

Regionally, consumers had an estimated 102,556 unwanted items at home that could be sold. The Philippines is one of the markets that had the most users forecasting 100 unwanted items to sell, and tied with Hong Kong in third place for the highest average items per user at 43 unwanted items. While most consumers estimated earning between PHP 2,501 to PHP 5,000 for selling their unwanted items, 11% believed they could earn more than PHP 35,0000.

“As a pioneer for mobile classifieds in the region, Carousell Group has been constantly working to remove friction and enable secure, seamless transactions. With the use of AI and data, we have been focused on accelerating our recommerce leadership in the region to make buying secondhand trusted and convenient. This, in turn, will help to solve the meaningful problem of overconsumption with recommerce and thus make secondhand the first choice for consumers.” ~Lucas Ngoo, Co-founder, Carousell Group 

Overall, the study revealed that while Women’s Fashion has held a steady position at the top category for secondhand items on Carousell Philippines, Men’s Fashion and Hobbies & Toys climbed the charts in 2020 to be in second and third place respectively. T-Shirts & Polo Shirts saw the most interest for Men’s Fashion, while the demand for Children’s Books was the highest in Hobbies & Toys. The top categories for supply are similar, with secondhand cars breaking out into third place. Listing views for used cars rose by 37% during the pandemic.

The Carousell Recommerce Index (2021 Report) is available for download here..

About Carousell Group 

Carousell Group is the leading classifieds group in Greater Southeast Asia on a mission to inspire the world to start selling, and to make secondhand the first choice. Founded in August 2012 in Singapore, the Group has a leading presence in eight markets under the brands Carousell, Mudah.my, Cho Tot, OneKyat and Ox Street, serving tens of millions of monthly active users. Carousell is backed by leading investors including Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Naver, STIC Investments and Sequoia Capital India. Visit here for more information.

Online sellers of pre-loved items support community pantries

“We started a community pantry and funds are still needed to keep it going until the end of lockdown. Technically, I am not really part of that baranggay, pero inextend ko na lang yung imagination ko na maybe my “community” should not be limited to my barangay or town lang. I just want to help. I have asthma so it’s not the safest for me to go out and buy groceries to donate to pantries. I had all these things that I could sell on my Carousell so it just made sense to donate some of the profits.”  ~Fredda, Users of Carousell

Community pantries spread nationwide with more than a hundred carts across the country. “Take what you need, give what you can”. This is the famous line that started the now-famous Maginhawa community pantry in Quezon City. Inspired by this noble bayanihan act, community pantries have sprouted across the Philippines to provide food for those who are greatly affected by the pandemic. 

As the unemployment rate keeps increasing, more and more families are unsure when their next meal will be. This bayanihan somehow helps put food on their table. With the generosity of fellow Filipinos, community pantries strive and exhibits respect and consideration for others.

Being on a lockdown did not stop the bayanihan spirit from spreading across the country. Many have initiated donation drives online to support the community pantries. Our farmers and fishermen have also donated fresh produce, while some donated groceries and cash. Then there are those who thought of selling their pre-loved items and donating part of the proceeds to community pantries in their area. 

Users of Carousell Fredda and Val (@freddaruth) and Rae (@rae_angelei), for instance, found a way to raise money to support their respective community pantries.  

Fredda started a community pantry at an urban alley in Caloocan City where many did not even receive cash aid during the lockdown and had to survive mostly on daily wages. 

She started selling some of her personal items like branded shoes and books to raise funds. 

Like Fredda, Carouselller @rae_angelei used the online classifieds platform to help out. “I just want to help. I have asthma so it’s not the safest for me to go out and buy groceries to donate to pantries. I had all these things that I could sell on my Carousell so it just made sense to donate some of the profits,” she said in an Instagram post. 

Both Carousellers pledged 50% of the profits to go to community pantries in the metro. Choose to help and be kind especially in these times of pandemic. Filipinos helping Filipinos. 

You can buy directly from their Carousell accounts @rae_angelei and @freddaruth on these links:

https://www.carousell.ph/freddaruth/

https://www.carousell.ph/rae_angelei/

Let’s support and take part in this humble initiative to help our community. You may donate directly to the community pantries in your area, or you can start selling your pre-loved items on carousell.ph and donate proceeds to your chosen area. 

Visit www.carousell.ph, register, and log in. Snap photos of the items to sell and start posting. 

Download the app for iOS or Android, and visit www.carousell.com for more information.

About Carousell

Carousell is a classifieds marketplace that makes selling as easy as taking a photo, buying as simple as chatting. Launched in August 2012, Carousell began in Singapore we are now one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing marketplaces in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Carousell is backed by leading investors, including Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Naver, and Sequoia Capital India. In the Philippines, OLX joins Carousell to bring consumers a diverse range of products across a variety of categories, including cars, lifestyle, gadgets, and fashion accessories.