Sales of second hand goods online increased by 26 percent compared to the same month last year. At the same time, sales in physical stores decreased by 25 percent.
E-commerce thus accounted for 78 percent of total sales within the resale market during the month. This figure is the highest recorded share for a month at the beginning of the year and matches the level from August 2024.
The unusually cold February may have contributed to more people choosing to shop online instead of going to stores. This explains why the difference between the channels is particularly large this month, says Maria Mikkonen, Chief Economist at Svensk Handel.
Sales are Decreasing Over Time
The total turnover in the industry amounted to 1.1 billion Swedish kronor. This corresponds to an increase of 10 percent compared to last year.
The month's sales increase is explained by the fact that the corresponding period last year was the year's sales bottom. Despite this, the year has started weakly, as turnover as a whole decreased by 16 percent during the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2025.
The increase in February was essentially a recovery from very low levels. When we summarize the first two months of the year, we see that sales are still clearly below last year, which shows that the market has not yet turned around, says Maria Mikkonen.
Decline for Several Product Groups
Looking at different product categories, sales generally decreased during the month. Trade in used clothing turned over 332 million Swedish kronor, which is a decrease of 6 percent.
The furniture and home furnishings category fell by 20 percent and turned over 168 million Swedish kronor. Books and magazines also decreased, with turnover falling by 4 percent to 80 million Swedish kronor.
Despite great interest in second hand, the figures show that the development is fragile. Today, used goods are taxed each time they are sold, which hinders the market. A reduced VAT could help increase both supply and demand. We still wonder why more parties are not raising this issue. It's an open goal, says Maria Mikkonen.