NINE OUT OF 10 MALAYSIANS SAY ‘YES’ TO SECONDHAND

Carousell’s Power Of Secondhand Gifts survey reveals secondhand items are well-received  

Carousell, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing mobile classified marketplaces, invited netizens to weigh in on the idea of “secondhand” as the season for gift-giving arrives and with many taking advantage of major year-end sales. The results revealed that secondhand gifts are actually A-OK with nine out of 10 Malaysians, and could well be an option to manage affordable and eco-friendly gift-giving.

The Carousell’s Power Of Secondhand Gifts survey was conducted online in November 2019 with 2,419 respondents in Malaysia.

Overall, it appears that the idea of secondhand gifts is becoming increasingly acceptable – 88.9 percent said they’d be happy to receive a secondhand gift, while 84.8 percent said they preferred a secondhand item they’d always wanted rather than a brand-new item they didn’t care for.

This is welcome news for those juggling the need to find the right gift within a realistic budget as secondhand gifts offer affordability, quality and variety.

Two-thirds of the respondents named value-for-money as the top incentive, as they are able to find quality items from good brands at an affordable price. More than half said it’s a good cost-saving alternative, and also a great way to track down rare items.

In addition to the thrill of finding a good bargain or a long-awaited rarity to complete a collection, 33 percent of the respondents also see it as a more sustainable and convenient way to shop, with many agreeing that it helps to reduce waste.

“The results of the Power Of Secondhand Gifts survey are very encouraging, as it indicates more people are appreciative of the value and sentiment behind gift-giving, which is independent of its material worth,” said Mr Tang Siew Wai, Country Head, Carousell Malaysia. “At Carousell, our purpose is to give unwanted items a second life, so that it’s a win for both sellers and buyers. In the same way, secondhand gifts are practical, cost-effective and sometimes more meaningful to the recipient; this positive response reinforces our vision to reimagine classifieds and make the selling and buying of second-hand a first choice.”

On the other end of the spectrum, some maintain that gifts must be new; one third admitted their main reasons for buying new was out of concern they would be seen as ‘cheap’, while others feared the recipient might feel offended.

However, as the year draws to a close and holiday expenses escalate, secondhand shopping could play a big role in saving time and money, and may one day become the norm.  The following are top picks for secondhand buys from the survey results:

●        antique and vintage items, 57.2 percent

●        collectibles, 39.4 percent

●        clothing, 33 percent

●        mobile or electronic appliances, 27.8 percent

●        books at 27.7 percent

To celebrate the holidays, Carousell announces the “’Tis the Season to Carousell” campaign! Hunt for specially curated festive-themed items that include handmade products, fashion and beauty items, hard-to-find pieces like the vintage Christmas plate, HRH Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Mug, vintage musical book, the vinyl record card collectible and much more without the hassle of dealing with parking, crowds and long queues.

View these items and thousands more for sale this year end on https://my.carousell.com/ or download the Carousell app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. For more information and updates, follow Carousell on www.facebook.com/carousell.my or on Instagram @carousell.my.

                                                       

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 now has a presence in eight markets across Asia. With over 250 million listings, it is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing marketplaces in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and is backed by Telenor Group, Rakuten Ventures, Sequoia India, 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, DBS, EDBI and Naspers. In Malaysia, Carousell has a diverse range of products in 34 categories, including fashion & beauty, lifestyle gadgets and muslimah fashion. Download the app for iOS or Android, and visit www.carousell.com for more information.