Buying pre-loved clothes is also new cool in Romania

Sales of second-hand clothes, shoes, and other products have doubled in the last five years, reaching RON 1 billion (EUR 200 million), according to statistical data provided by the Bridge to Information platform based on official statistics, as quoted by Ziarul Financiar. The market may actually be two to three times larger, however.

The figures reported by Bridge to Information cover companies that declared their CAEN 4779 - retail trade of second-hand goods and that submitted their financial results for each of the years analyzed.

In reality, the market is much larger than that, given that many of the companies operating in the field do not declare this NACE, but 4771 - retail sale of clothing or other items.

Globally, second-hand products already represent 10% of the fashion market, according to a report by ThredUp.

If the proportion is maintained in Romania, taking into account that the total fashion market is approaching EUR 5-6 billion annually, it results that sales of second-hand products amount to EUR 500-600 million (RON 2.5-3 billion), so two or even three times more than official data shows.

The upward trend is expected to continue in Romania, with the local market following the Western model, where this segment is becoming increasingly visible and important.

(Photo source: Svitlana Kuchina/Dreamstime.com)