A Surge in British Columbia’s Second-Hand Economy

A new nationwide study from Kijiji has found that the pandemic is driving a spike in the second-hand economy, powered by the buying and selling of home items, especially outdoor furniture, decor and garden ware.

The Report

Kijiji’s Home Sweet Home Report reveals that 78 percent% of British Columbians feel the increased time at home has made it more important that they like how it looks, and 25% have been using the extra time to take on home renovation projects. The demand and supply are only going to get higher with 60% of British Columbians planning to buy garden or outdoor items for a second summer at home.

As the number one classifieds platform in Canada, we wanted to understand how shopping behaviour has changed since the start of the pandemic. We also wanted to see how the summer is shaping up given some level of restrictions are still in place across the country. What the report makes clear is that Canadians are turning to the second-hand economy to make their living spaces really feel like home. We see a lot of interest in items that will improve decor, help with home renovations or make outdoor spaces as comfortable and personalized as possible. We’re also seeing more Canadians using Kijiji to declutter their homes and make some extra money by selling unwanted items online. We know e-commerce sales, in general, have experienced double or even triple-digit growth in Canada since the start of the pandemic, and we’re confident that Canadians will continue to turn to the second-hand economy to trade with their community. - Kent Sikstrom, Kijiji Community Relations Manager

Other key findings from the report include:

• Some British Columbians may have more disposable income, but they’re still budget-conscious. 80%t who purchased from the second-hand economy in the past year did so to save money.
• 31% are planning to use the second-hand economy to sell unused items ahead of this summer.
• 60 percent% of British Columbians are planning on emptying their storage units, with the average British Columbian expected to make $106/month selling unused items.

The new report is the latest body of research from Kijiji focused on the second-hand economy. Kijiji has been providing a pulse on the growth of this market for five years, with the Second-Hand Economy Index. The most recent report demonstrated consistent year-on-year growth, outlining an economy reaching 4 out of 5 Canadians and worth an estimated $27.3 billion.

You can view ‘The Home Sweet Home Report’ in full here.