Black-Friday discounts deter 42 percent from buying products second-hand
Rotterdam, Nov. 25, 2024 - High discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday are causing nearly a third (30 percent) of Dutch people to abandon their sustainability principles due to the tempting prices. This is according to research conducted by waste manager Milgro among a thousand Dutch people. 36 percent consciously postpone purchases because of these hefty discounts and for a quarter (25%) even their purchases during these days are less sustainable than compared to the rest of the year.
Rather new than second-hand
One of the sustainability principles that gets thrown overboard during Black Friday and Cyber Monday is buying secondhand. For example, 42 percent report that competitively priced items keep them from buying them secondhand at that time. In contrast to secondhand, one in three (31%) are inclined to buy refurbished products if the discount is comparable to that of new products.
Better information leads to more sustainable choices
.Although the Dutch are easily tempted by high discounts, they are open to more sustainable choices when given better information during their purchasing process. 37 percent would make a different choice if alternative options to new such as used, second-hand or refurbished products were offered. In addition, 28 percent say they would choose more sustainably when given more information about the origin of the product. Almost a quarter (24 percent) choose less or reusable packaging when available, and 22 percent make a better choice when given more insight into the use of materials, such as recycled or biodegradable materials.
Although it seems logical to offer more sustainable alternatives primarily online, the figures show that physical stores are still popular among the Dutch. For example, 44 percent prefer shopping on the high street, while 42 percent most often buy products online. In addition, ten percent buy second-hand products most often, of which five percent do so through online platforms and four percent in thrift stores. Interestingly, women buy second-hand more often than men (14 percent versus 7 percent).
"As waste managers for the logistics and manufacturing sectors, we see that during the holidays and days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, waste volumes skyrocket," stated Gijs Derks, director at Milgro. As a driver of the circular economy, we want to use this research to assess the extent to which consumers consider sustainability in their purchasing process. The figures show that as soon as high discounts are offered almost a third of consumers abandon their sustainability principles and no longer think about the impact of higher CO2 emissions. But fortunately there are also opportunities: when consumers are well informed about options such as second-hand, second-chance or refurbished products in their purchasing process, they are open to them. Here lies an important responsibility for retailers both online and in physical stores, but also for marketers and logistics. We all do not have to consume less, but by choosing more consciously and sustainably, we can use raw materials more efficiently and work together toward a circular economy."
About the study
.The survey was conducted by Milgro in collaboration with Factsnapp. A total of 1,000 Dutch people participated in this survey.
