eBay predicts a ‘Reimagined Black Friday’ as rising cost of living increases demand for non-new products

New data from eBay UK reveals 62 percent of Gen-Zs will consider shopping pre-loved this Black Friday, with a new generation of shoppers turning to non-new and refurbished products*

This festive season, eBay UK is urging shoppers to consider pre-loved or refurbished goods, as new research from the marketplace reveals that the cost of living crisis has left 50 percent of the nation holding off on deals throughout the year in order to make the most of deeper discounts this Black Friday.*

Compared with other generations, the retail sale period is looking to be most popular amongst Gen-Zs (16-26 year olds) where 68 percent predict they will make discounted purchases with almost two-thirds (62 percent) of them specifically considering making non-new purchases, suggesting a reimagined Black Friday is on the horizon.*

While money-saving continues to be a top driver to shop non-new, for Gen-Zs hoping to snap up some non-new bargains this Black Friday, 19 percent have said it’s because vintage and pre-loved is more “fashionable” and “on-trend” today.*

On eBay, customers can expect to see only ‘Better Than New’ deals being showcased this Black Friday, helping customers save money and reduce waste. In fact, if everyone shops for only pre-loved or refurbished items, new data reveals that the nation could save a huge £9 billion per year, equating to as much as £320 per household.***

In 2022, 9 of the top 10 Black Friday deals sold on eBay.co.uk were refurbished**, with Dyson products, Hotel Chocolat Velvitisers and iPhones topping the list of most popular products. The nation’s hunger for pre-loved and refurbished items was also echoed across the whole of the year, with almost 2 million kg of fashion waste avoided through pre-loved fashion buys on eBay UK, and 2.8 million kg of waste avoided through refurbished and used tech buys – an equivalent to over 23.5 million phones spared from landfill.

This year, items such as air fryers, Airwraps, phones and vacuum cleaners will be up for grabs, alongside deals on pre-loved fashion from top brands.

Eve Williams, General Manager of eBay UK said: “It’s clear that amidst a cost of living crisis, shoppers are approaching Black Friday with a money-saving mindset. What’s been really promising to see this year is that although great deals and savings are still front of mind, Gen-Zs are actually leading the charge with what we’re terming a ‘reimagined Black Friday’ – one that’s got both economic and environmental benefits.

Last year, we made a big bet by focusing exclusively on non-new and refurbished products in eBay’s Black Friday marketing, and we saw an unprecedented appetite for it.  With a new generation of more conscious shoppers emerging,  we want to ensure we’re providing the best deals on our non-new and refurbished offerings, in the hopes that the trends we’re seeing with the younger generation of Brits continues to grow.”

Anne Wingfield, Managing Director, GB&I at Dyson adds: “Selling our Certified Refurbished range on eBay brings our robust and innovative engineering to a new audience. Whether you’re looking for an Airwrap or a vacuum cleaner this Black Friday, all Dyson Renewed products are refurbished with our renowned quality-control and the goal to help you get great value while keeping unnecessary waste out of landfill.”

Black Friday is not just important for shoppers looking to save money, but is a crucial calendar moment for UK businesses following a tough year of high bills and stubborn inflation. Half of UK SME business owners (52 percent) are investing significant resources to ensure that they have a positive Black Friday trading period and nearly a third (32 percent) note that Black Friday is vital for bolstering their bottom line for 2024 and beyond.****

The good news for thrifty shoppers is that more than two-thirds of SMEs (68 percent) will be actively offering Black Friday discounts this year, with a whopping 73 percent of SME owners expecting a positive trading period.****

Through focusing on pre-loved and refurbished goods, the eBay platform is supporting businesses and retailers to drive more circularity of their stock in the run up to the festive period. This includes brands such as Dyson, Ninja, Sonos and Peloton whose products are typically top of Christmas lists across the country.

* eBay consumer research carried out by Markettiers with 2,007 nationally representative UK respondents (aged 16+) respondents (20th October – 24th October) 

** eBay owned data 

*** WRAP (in partnership with eBay), 2023, Prepared by Keith James

**** Markettiers polling research with 505 SME Business Owners aged 18+ (19th October – 25th October)