eBay has announced a new partnership with clothing resale, sanitisation and repair experts ACS to expand the online marketplace’s secondhand offering and help reduce waste in the fashion industry.

The partnership will help more brands and retailers to create and quickly scale resale offerings while giving eBay UK’s 20 million plus customers more choice in secondhand goods. The first retail partner to launch on ACS’ eBay Shop is Monsoon, with other high-street names set to follow.

ACS cleans, sanitises and repairs secondhand items, making them resale ready, as well as arranging the logistics of item listing and delivery. The eBay platform will connect its millions of shoppers worldwide with this stock.

The partnership aims to capitalise on the increasing shift to secondhand, which is being driven by the rising cost of living and greater concern for our impact on the environment. eBay UK conducted a survey of UK adults asking about their experiences and motivations of buying secondhand.

Helping the resale economy scale to the mainstream

As the ‘resale economy’ becomes more mainstream and the scale and range of items on offer grows, consumers are increasingly likely to consider secondhand over new. One in four (25%) UK adults surveyed said that a larger range of secondhand items now being available to buy was a key reason for them making a secondhand purchase.

However, the research found barriers exist when it comes to secondhand items becoming mainstream. Concerns about hygiene (51%), the safety of secondhand products (35%), quality issues (28%) and fake or inauthentic goods (27%) are the main reasons for avoiding preloved goods.

The new partnership aims to tackle some of these misconceptions in the secondhand market, with strict quality controls, the latest technology in sanitisation and high standards of repair, helping to improve trust among shoppers and nudge more shoppers to choose preloved.

Building a sustainable future on eBay

Commenting on the partnership Lucy Peacock, Head of Preloved at eBay UK, said: “Across the fashion industry, we know there is a greater need to build a sustainable future. Since 1995, eBay has extended the life cycle of products, whether through consumer-to-consumer reselling or our Imperfects hub. So, it’s fantastic to partner with ACS, who are at the forefront of enabling the circular fashion economy.

“Pairing eBay’s reach among conscious customers with ACS’ expertise in garment repair, resale, and recycling will help reduce waste in the fashion industry and showcase a kinder way to shop that benefits both people’s wallets and the planet.”

Andrew Rough, CEO at ACS Clothing, said: “The surge in secondhand clothing sales is undoubtedly a reaction to the growing consumer conscience of sustainability in fashion as well as the increasing cost of living and the pressure this places on spending. eBay is famous for its vast offering of preloved clothing, and this scalable resale partnership with ACS will enable them to develop this further.