“Consumer attitudes and behaviours are changing,” consumer researcher Gabriella Wulff, who specialises in the fashion and textile industry, wrote in the report.

Swedish consumers’ attitudes towards second-hand items have changed drastically in the past five years. According to Myrorna, the second-hand market is currently worth more than ever at 20 billion kronor a year, and trade association Svensk Handel expects it to grow by 1.5 billion kronor this year alone.

“It’s no longer just a small number of people shopping second-hand as they can’t afford new clothing,” Wulff said. 

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“Instead, we see that second hand has become a hype and that it’s linked to positive values.”

Younger people are more likely to buy clothes or other items second-hand than older people, whether that’s in a brick-and-mortar shop or online, and younger people were also more likely to sell their own items on the second-hand market, with older individuals more likely to donate items or clothing to second-hand shops, like Myrorna or similar shops like Stadsmissionen and Röda Korset. 

More than four in five of those interviewed – 86 percent – said that they sell or donate used items rather than throwing them away, with 72 percent of that group saying they prefer to donate rather than sell.

Why do Swedes buy second-hand?

The vast majority (91 percent) of people Myrorna interviewed – both men and women – said that the primary reason they buy second-hand items is because it’s cheaper than buying new, with the second most popular answer being the environmental benefit.

Almost three quarters of interviewees – 73 percent – were worried about the climate and the future of the planet, with 78 percent saying it is necessary to buy and use second-hand items in order to solve the climate crisis.

The third most popular answer differed between genders. Women said that they liked to buy second-hand as it’s a “fun way to shop”, while men appreciated the fact that they could find unique items.

“Many people like to buy second-hand, partly because it offers a different kind of experience than buying new,” consumer researcher Åsa Callmer, specialising in sustainable consumption, wrote in Myrorna’s report.

“This is partly because people can shop with a better conscience, as they’re not buying a new item of clothing or a new gadget which has been produced in conditions that hurt both people and the environment, and partly because they can buy clothes and items which have their own history.”

“Finding deals and combining these to create a personal style is completely different than buying newly-produced fast-fashion, and many second-hand consumers see it as an important part of their identity.”

What do they buy?

Items purchased in second-hand shops also differed between genders. The most popular items to buy second-hand for both genders were clothes, with 51 percent of women and 22 percent of men saying they bought these items second-hand.

The next most popular items for women were glass and porcelain (35 percent), children’s clothing (29 percent), furniture (28 percent), books and accessories (both 27 percent). Men, on the other hand, had furniture in second place (22 percent), followed by electronics and books (both 20 percent), glass and porcelain (15 percent) and tools (14 percent).

The least popular item for Swedes to buy second-hand was shoes, with over a third of interviewees saying they wouldn’t even consider doing so.

Do Swedes buy more second-hand than newly produced items?

No, at least not where clothes are concerned. On average, Swedes buy 50 new items of clothing per person per year, spending an average of 9,600 kronor a year. That compares to only 1,094 kronor on second-hand clothing – so only a tenth of a Swede’s clothing budget is used on second hand clothes.

“There’s a big step between starting to buy second-hand and adopting a circular lifestyle,” Callmer said. “In order to adopt a circular lifestyle, second-hand items need to replace purchases of newly produced items to a greater degree. Otherwise you’re just buying more items in total, and for a circular economy to be sustainable, the total number of items being produced and consumed needs to decrease.”