The trade in used goods is no longer limited to traditional flea markets or consumer-to-consumer exchanges. Selling secondhand items has rapidly shifted online, and Finnish consumers have embraced these new ways of shopping.
New online store–like platforms and their added services, such as smooth deliveries and secure payment methods, are accelerating growth and making the secondhand market increasingly attractive for businesses as well.
“Although we have already seen remarkable growth in secondhand e-commerce and parcel volumes, Finland is only just waking up to this phenomenon. Globally, the market is expected to grow up to five times faster than traditional retail. Internationally, as many as 35 percent of consumers bought used items for the first time during the past year, which shows that growth is likely to accelerate in the near future,” says Elina Rosendlund, Sales Director for Consumer Sending at Posti.
As part of the Secondhand September theme month, we conducted a study to explore Finnish secondhand behavior. How do consumers buy and sell used goods – and why do some still not participate? The study revealed interesting insights regarding buyers’ and sellers’ gender, age, purchase decisions, activity levels, and motivations.
The report also includes perspectives on where the secondhand market is heading and how companies can seize its opportunities.
Explore the research summary: Secondhand in Finnish consumer behavior 2025 (material in Finnish)