One in seven people in Flanders has bought second-hand goods in the past year out of financial necessity, a study among more than 2,000 Belgians revealed on Thursday. This is almost twice as many as last year.
The study, which was commissioned by De Kringwinkel and 2dehands, found that about 35% of Flemish people bought something second-hand last year. Most, 66.6%, did so for the cost saving, while 41.2% did it for the enjoyment of searching for a good find.
These were not the main reasons to choose used goods, however. Four in ten Flemish people noted that they bought second-hand goods for environmental considerations.
Credit: Marta Mieze / The Brussels Times
Those in Flanders are not alone. French-speaking Belgians are even more likely to buy second-hand out of financial necessity, with 25% indicating they have done so in the past year. In 2021, this figure was 11.2%.
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Women and young people tend to spend the most on used goods. People in Flanders chose to shop second-hand primarily for clothes (33.6%), books/comics (25.2%), decoration (19.9%), toys (18.7%) and furniture (14%).
