10 Reasons to Buy Second-Hand Rather Than New
There is no simple solution to solving the sustainability issues in the clothing industry but shopping pre-loved is a good start; extending the life of a piece of clothing by an extra 9 months reduces its carbon, waste and water footprint by 20-30% (Source: LoveYourClothes). So, we’re going to keep this one short and sweet and give you 10 reasons why your should do more secondhand shopping!
1. Did somebody say luxury?
Yep you heard that right, luxury second hand. It’s possible, and common, to come across luxury finds when shopping second hand. Luxury items are usually made using superior quality materials than their high street counterparts therefore they can last much longer, especially if these are kids items that aren’t worn that often anyway. You can find luxury items on Cress by using our website filter options.
2. Extend the life of clothing.
This is one of our core values at Cress but it really is a top reason to shop pre-loved. Whether you are shopping secondhand to use, gift or donate the item you are making it useful and giving new life to the product. As stated above, by only extending the life of a piece of clothing for an extra 9 months, you’ll help to reduce its carbon, waste and water footprint by 20-30%. If you take care of this item, you will also be able to resell it and keep the cycle going.
3. You can find a bargain.
When you hop onto Cress everybody is hoping to get a good deal, both buyers and sellers. Sellers on Cress do not have the same margins and RRP’s, they’re looking to sell on unused or outgrown clothing and make a little bit of money from doing so. This means that you can find some great bargains with items priced far far lower than their original RRP.
4. Support like-minded people.
When you buy on Cress, you are more than likely buying from a parent just like you. If you are shopping for a two year old, they may now have a three year old and they’ll have been through what you’re going through now.. You know, the terrible twos. Buying from this seller helps them move on some of their outgrown clothes and the money from the sale is more than likely going towards buying clothes to fit their three year old, it may be worth giving them a follow if you like their style!
5. It decreases the negative impact of the environment.
We all know that our climate has changed over the years due to human activity and it’s going to take some changes to our daily lives to make up for the damage done. We can make a change through little steps though. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter globally (source: World Economic Forum). The production of cotton clothes consumes lots of water and energy. When you buy and sell pre-loved clothes, shoes, and other fashion items, you decrease the demand for new items therefore, reducing the pressure on manufacturers to produce these items in large quantities and reducing the carbon footprint of each individual item bought and sold.
6. Discover unique items.
One of the top things about shopping for second-hand clothes is the opportunities it provides to discover unique items that no one else has. Part of the fun is in the hunt, searching through one-of-a-kind, or previous seasons items to keep your kids looking cool and unique, not wearing the same as everyone else at the park.
7. It saves you money
Buying clothes second-hand costs way less than buying new all the time. Over time, this can lead to huge savings.
It’s important to remember that just because second-hand clothes are cheaper, it doesn’t mean they are bad quality, most of the time, it’s actually the opposite. Shopping second-hand clothes often gives you the opportunity to find high-quality clothes without the premium price tag. Plus, clothes being worn to death and then sold on is a total misconception of second-hand clothes shopping – especially with kids, they’ll outgrow clothes before they destroy them.
8. The ‘hunt’ can be extremely satisfying.
When you’re searching for pre-loved clothes online you never know what you’re going to find. Searching through the Cress site is super easy by the ability to narrow down products using filters but it still doesn’t take away that feeling when you finally come across that one of a kind, golden ticket item. When this item arrives you know that you’ll wish it was adult size so that you can show it off to your friends!
9. You may not necessarily be buying ‘second hand’.
That’s right – I said it. When is second hand not second hand? Well how many times have you bought, or been bought something that you aren’t a fan of and have never worn. This happens all the time and just because it’s not your style it doesn’t mean that it’s not someone else’s. In this case, when shopping, the ‘someone else’ could be you. So yeah not all items that are being resold have been worn. You can search for brand new items on Cress using the ‘Brand new with Tags’ filter option.
10. We’re making shopping preloved easier than ever!
Maybe this is cheating, but number ten is us!! We’re helping to make shopping second hand easier than ever. We’re getting high quality items of pre-loved kids clothing online with product filters to make it super easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. As a social marketplace, we’re also giving you the ability to follow sellers whose style and service you like.