eBay Recommerce Report: Secondhand Shopping Rises Worldwide as Consumers Seek Value and Stretch Budgets

eBay’s survey shows secondhand shopping is now mainstream, with rising buyer and seller engagement.

What the company is saying

eBay is positioning recommerce as a core and growing part of its global marketplace, emphasizing that secondhand shopping is now a routine, budget-driven choice for both buyers and sellers. The company highlights that 70% of global consumers consider secondhand shopping important for managing household budgets, and 47% now buy secondhand goods at least monthly, up from 35% in 2025. CEO Jamie Iannone frames this as a structural shift, stating recommerce has been central to eBay for 30 years and is becoming more embedded in daily life. The announcement underscores the platform’s scale with over 2 billion live listings and $80 billion in gross merchandise volume enabled in 2025. eBay stresses the dual economic benefit: 45% of U.S. sellers report resale provides supplemental income, and 25% say it is vital for household finances. The narrative also leans on environmental and social angles, with 83% of consumers citing environmental benefits and 54% valuing community aspects like live shopping. The tone is confident, using large survey samples and international coverage to reinforce credibility.

What the data suggests

The disclosed survey data shows a clear increase in secondhand shopping frequency, with monthly buyers rising from 35% in 2025 to 47% in 2026. 76% of respondents shopped for secondhand products in the past year, and 89% intend to maintain or increase their spending next year, indicating strong forward demand. Younger consumers are leading this trend, with 53% of 18–29-year-olds expecting to buy more secondhand products in the next 12 months, compared to 36% overall. In the U.S., 36% of consumers rate secondhand as 'very important' for household budgets, above the 28% global average, suggesting heightened price sensitivity. For sellers, 45% in the U.S. view resale as a supplemental income source, and 25% rely on it for vital household support. The platform’s scale is reinforced by more than 2 billion live listings and $80 billion in 2025 gross merchandise volume. 85% of sellers source inventory from their own belongings, highlighting the untapped supply in households. 83% of consumers see environmental benefits, and 54% value social aspects, but these are sentiment-based rather than operational metrics. The data is robust for survey-based insights but does not provide direct financial performance or profitability figures.

Analysis

The announcement is upbeat, emphasizing strong consumer engagement and positive trends in secondhand shopping, supported by large-scale survey data. Most claims are realized and survey-based, such as the increase in monthly secondhand purchases and the $80 billion gross merchandise volume in 2025. However, the most forward-looking statements—such as 89% of respondents planning to spend the same or more on secondhand goods next year and 53% of young consumers expecting to buy more—are projections of intent, not realized outcomes. There is no disclosure of profitability, margin, or cash flow metrics, so the true_signal cannot exceed weak_positive. The tone is somewhat inflated by highlighting environmental and community benefits and platform scale, but these are not directly tied to financial performance. No large capital outlay or long-term, uncertain returns are discussed, and the benefits described are expected within the next 12 months, making the execution distance near-term.

Risk flags

• ●Survey-based intent may not translate into actual transaction growth; while 89% of respondents plan to spend the same or more on secondhand goods next year, this is not a guarantee of realized sales or revenue.
• ●The report does not disclose profitability, margin, or cash flow metrics, so it is unclear how increased engagement translates into bottom-line financial performance for eBay.
• ●Heavy reliance on small businesses (approximately 70% of sales) and sellers sourcing inventory from their own belongings (85%) could limit scalability if consumer supply or small business participation wanes.

Bottom line

This announcement signals that secondhand shopping is now a mainstream, budget-driven behavior for a large share of eBay’s global user base, supported by robust survey data and platform scale. The positive trends in buyer frequency, seller reliance on resale income, and high intent to maintain or increase secondhand spending suggest continued platform engagement and transaction volume. However, the data is primarily survey-based and does not address profitability or operational leverage, so the impact on eBay’s earnings remains unquantified. The company’s narrative is credible on engagement and market trends, but investors should look for future disclosures of actual financial performance to confirm that these behavioral shifts drive sustained revenue and profit growth. The most important takeaway is that recommerce is now a structural part of eBay’s business, but the financial upside will depend on conversion of intent into realized sales and margin improvement.

Announcement summary

(NASDAQ:EBAY) eBay released its 2026 Recommerce Report, presenting findings from surveys of more than 10,500 consumers and more than 1,700 eBay sellers across several markets. The report highlights that 70% of global consumers surveyed consider secondhand shopping important for managing their household budgets. 47% of respondents say they buy secondhand goods at least monthly, an increase from 35% in 2025. 76% of consumers report having shopped for secondhand products in the past year. 89% of those surveyed plan to spend the same or more on secondhand goods next year. Among younger consumers aged 18–29, 53% expect to buy more secondhand products over the next 12 months, compared with 36% overall. In the U.S., 36% of consumers surveyed say secondhand is 'very important' to managing their household budgets, compared with 28% globally. 45% of U.S. eBay sellers say resale provides supplemental income, while 25% say the money from their sales has provided vital support for their household income. Approximately 70% of eBay sales come from small businesses. eBay's platform currently hosts more than 2 billion live listings. 85% of surveyed eBay sellers source secondhand inventory from their own belongings. 83% of consumers surveyed agree that recommerce has real environmental benefits. 54% of consumers say community and shared connections, such as live shopping, are important to their secondhand shopping experience. The 2026 Recommerce Report is based on two surveys conducted online in partnership with Bounce Insights. The external survey included 10,522 consumers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Austria, and Japan, with fieldwork conducted between July 9, 2026 and July 27, 2026. The seller survey included 1,707 eBay sellers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Japan, conducted between July 15, 2026 and August 10, 2026. In 2025, eBay enabled $80 billion of gross merchandise volume. Jamie Iannone, Chief Executive Officer at eBay, stated that recommerce has been core to eBay's marketplace for 30 years and its role is only growing.

Disagree with this article?