England’s Consignment and Resale Statistics
England and the wider UK have one of the most mature secondhand markets in Europe. The overall UK resale sector is valued at more than £7 billion, with roughly 25% of all fashion transactions now secondhand [1]. Online resale of used goods alone is projected to reach £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion) in 2025, up from £4.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in 2024 [2]. There are an estimated 10,000-11,000 charity shops across the UK, the vast majority based in England, alongside a growing number of independent consignment boutiques and resale platforms [3].
Key England 2025-2026 Resale Statistics At a Glance
- England resale/secondhand market size: More than £7 billion, representing about 25% of all UK fashion transactions
- Money saved by UK shoppers buying secondhand: £5.6 billion in 2024, with nearly 199 million items kept in circulation [1].
- Online secondhand goods sales: £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion) projected for 2025, up from £4.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in 2024 [2].
- Forecast growth: England resale is projected to reach about 10% of total UK fashion spending by 2029, growing roughly 9% per year, faster than UK retail overall [1].
- Secondhand adoption by age: 74% of UK shoppers under 35 bought secondhand in the past year, versus just over half of those 55 and older [1].
- Charity shops in the UK: An estimated 10,000-11,000, the vast majority located in England; Charity Retail Association members alone reported 4,248 shops in Q3 2025
- UK GDP growth: 1.4% in 2025 (revised up from 1.3%), following 1.1% growth in 2024 [5].
- UK population: 69.5 million (provisional mid-2025 estimate), with England accounting for the large majority of that total [6].
England & UK Economic & Resale Facts
GDP real growth rate: The UK economy grew by 1.4% in 2025, revised up from an initial 1.3% estimate, following 1.1% growth in 2024 [5]. Growth remained modest through the year, with the Office for National Statistics describing the economy as “growing a little” amid continued cost pressures on businesses [7].
UK resale and secondhand market size: The UK’s secondhand sector is worth more than £7 billion, according to OC&C Strategy Consultants, with around 25% of all fashion transactions in the country now going to resale. UK shoppers collectively saved £5.6 billion in 2024 by buying secondhand instead of new, keeping close to 199 million items in circulation rather than in landfill [1].
Online resale specifically continues to be the fastest-growing channel: online sales of used goods in the UK are projected to hit £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion) in 2025, up from £4.3 billion ($5.8 billion) in 2024, according to Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) research commissioned by Amazon. More than half of Britons (54%) purchased secondhand goods online in the past year [2].
Charity shops and consignment stores: The Charity Retail Association estimates there are over 10,000 charity shops across the UK, with the large majority based in England [3]. Among CRA’s member charities specifically, a Q3 2025 survey covering 60 charities recorded 4,248 shops, a roughly 6% reduction since the start of 2024 as several large charities consolidated into fewer, larger-format stores. Despite the store count decline, charity retail income has continued to rise each quarter compared with the prior year, and the CRA describes underlying trading as “very strong,” with donation volumes and customer demand for secondhand goods remaining high [4].
Population: The UK’s provisional mid-2025 population estimate stands at 69.5 million (69,487,000), according to the Office for National Statistics, with England representing by far the largest share of that total.6 The UK population is projected to reach 71 million by 2034, with growth driven almost entirely by net international migration rather than natural increase, as deaths are projected to exceed births from mid-2026 onward [8].
The used and secondhand goods market in England spans a wide range of categories: vintage and designer clothing, rare and collectible books, modern electronics like smartphones and laptops, antique and modern furniture, home décor, children’s clothing and toys, sporting goods, musical instruments, vinyl records, DVDs, and both vintage and modern pre-owned jewelry. These items are favored not only for affordability but for their role in reducing waste and supporting a circular economy [9].
Sneaker resale stats: In 2020, online marketplaces became the most-used channel for reselling trainers in the UK, accounting for 50% of transactions and roughly $3 billion in revenue. The women’s sneaker resale segment grew sharply, moving from 1.6% of the category in 2014 to 42.7% by 2022, a 41.1 percentage-point increase. Millennials (ages 27-42) remain the dominant secondary sneaker shoppers, representing approximately 80% of sneaker resale purchases [9]. Globally, sneaker resale has grown into a business generating over $10 billion in gross merchandise value, a trend that continues to lift cross-border UK resale activity as platforms like StockX and GOAT expand their reach [10].
History of resale in England
Secondhand clothing bazaars were common in England as far back as the Elizabethan era. The first organization widely considered a genuine “charity shop” was the Wolverhampton Society for the Blind in Staffordshire, England, where citizens donated used goods for sale with proceeds supporting the visually impaired.
Consignment shops began to take hold more broadly in the 1950s, as the arrival of new synthetic fabrics created demand for new clothing and, simultaneously, mountains of used garments people wanted to pass on. These stores gave shoppers access to the latest fashion trends at substantially reduced prices [9].
Today, resale and consignment continue to thrive across England, from high-street charity shops that now rival boutique retail experiences, to designer resale specialists and fast-growing online marketplaces such as Vinted, Depop, and eBay [1].
Why England is a great place to open a consignment resale business
In the UK, attitudes toward consignment are increasingly positive, driven by a desire for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Consumers appreciate both the economic benefits of finding high-quality, affordable goods and the ability to sell items they no longer need. The appeal of unique, vintage finds, combined with the quality and durability of older items, adds further to resale’s appeal, while online marketplaces have made secondhand shopping more accessible than ever [9].
Retailers are responding at scale: major chains such as River Island have partnered with resale platforms to extend product lifecycles, while brands including Levi’s, Patagonia, Zara, and John Lewis now operate their own in-store resale, repair, or trade-in programmes. Government-backed pilots, including WRAP’s ACT UK textile collection trials, have shown that coordinated collection schemes can increase secondhand textile volumes by up to 46% when households receive clear sorting guidance, pointing to further formalization of the circular economy across England in the years ahead [1].
The used and secondhand goods industry has grown rapidly worldwide alongside England’s boom. The global secondhand apparel market is now estimated at roughly $288 billion, up over 12% year-over-year, and is projected to nearly double to around $317 billion by 2027 [11].
Benefits of Consignment
Consignment reselling, compared to traditional retail where items are paid for upfront and then resold, has several advantages:
Advantages for consignment retailers
- Low financial risk: Because retailers don’t pay for products until they’re sold, purchasing surplus stock and losing capital on inventory costs isn’t a concern. Consignment inventory lets retailers with tight margins take on new products without assuming financial risk for unsold goods.
- Higher potential for sales: Consigned goods diversify retail inventory, which can increase sales and profits.
- Fewer storage needs: New stock can be brought in whenever there’s customer demand. Retailers don’t need special storage arrangements for excess stock and can return unsold products.
Consignment inventory advantages for suppliers
- Visibility: Consignment gives suppliers a way to reach new audiences through retail stores, generating revenue without owning retail space or hiring staff.
- Testing: Suppliers can test new products in new markets and evaluate performance based on actual sales.
- Reduced inventory costs: Placing goods with retail partners until they sell can reduce warehouse carrying costs.
Consumer attitudes towards used goods in England
Roughly a quarter of all UK fashion transactions are now secondhand, and adoption skews heavily toward younger shoppers: 74% of UK consumers under 35 bought secondhand in the past year, compared with just over half of those aged 55 and above [1]. Two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennial UK shoppers bought secondhand apparel in 2024, and nearly half of that group cite secondhand as a meaningful part of their regular shopping habits.12 eBay remains the most recognized secondhand platform in the UK (93% brand awareness), followed by Etsy and Vinted (84% each), ASOS Marketplace (54%), and Depop (47%), which was itself founded in England by Simon Beckerman in 2011.
Country Snapshot
Country: England (part of the United Kingdom)
Capital City: London Currency: Pound sterling (GBP) Language: English
Population: UK population estimated at 69.5 million (provisional mid-2025), with England accounting for the large majority [6].
Aravenda services available:
- Full-service consignment software: resale inventory management including consignor payouts
- AI powered item entry: upload a photo, UPC or code and list in literally seconds
- Personalized onboarding with an assigned specialist to assist you
- Website development and creation (fully integrated with Shopify)
- Shopify website creation and updates
- Customized, White Label Enterprise product for larger enterprise customers
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FAQ: Starting and Understanding Consignment Resale in England
How do I start a consignment business in England?
Choose your niche (vintage and designer fashion, kidswear, electronics, furniture, or a general mix), register your business with Companies House or as a sole trader with HMRC, and decide whether you’ll operate from a physical shop, online-only, or a hybrid model. From the outset, put consignor agreements in place, covering commission splits, payout schedules, and unsold-item terms, and use inventory management software rather than spreadsheets, since tracking multiple consignors manually quickly becomes unmanageable.
How much money do I need to open a consignment store in England?
Costs depend heavily on format and location. A physical shop on a high street in London or another major English city typically requires funds for lease and deposit, shopfitting, point-of-sale and inventory software, and initial marketing, with costs generally higher in London and the South East than in the North of England. An online-first or hybrid consignment model can launch with substantially less capital, since there’s no upfront inventory purchase and lower ongoing overhead than a traditional retail lease.
What category sells the most in England?
Fashion dominates by transaction value, with roughly one in four UK fashion purchases now secondhand, and kidswear and affordable luxury growing particularly fast on platforms like Vinted, especially in London and other major English cities. Beyond apparel, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, and vintage homeware remain consistently strong categories across England’s charity shop and consignment retail networks.
Is consignment reselling profitable in England in 2026?
Consignment carries relatively low financial risk since inventory isn’t paid for upfront, and the broader UK resale sector has continued to grow even as national GDP growth has slowed to around 1%, a pattern consistent with resale’s reputation as a resilient category during periods of household budget pressure. Actual profitability depends on your commission structure, how quickly inventory turns over, and controlling labor costs for item intake and listing, and these factors can vary meaningfully between London and other English regions.
Do I need special licensing to run a consignment shop in England?
Requirements vary by local council, but generally you’ll need standard business registration, to register for VAT if turnover exceeds the threshold, and any local trading or waste-carrier permits your council requires for secondhand goods retail. Certain categories, such as electricals, jewelry above certain values, or items subject to safety regulations, may carry additional compliance requirements, so it’s worth checking category-specific and council-specific rules before listing inventory.
Ready to Grow Your Consignment or Resale Business in England?
Whether you’re opening your first consignment boutique on a London high street or scaling a multi-location resale operation across England, Aravenda Consignment Software supports every stage of the journey, from personalized onboarding and AI-powered item entry, to multi-location and multi-consignor inventory management, to a fully integrated Shopify storefront that helps you sell online and in-store from day one. As England’s resale market continues to outpace broader retail growth in 2026, Aravenda gives consignment and resale businesses the tools to manage inventory, consignor payouts, and sales, all in one place.
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Sources:
[2] WWD / Business of Fashion, “UK Secondhand Shopping Will Top $6 Billion, Amazon Reports,” citing CEBR research commissioned by Amazon, 2026.
[3] Fundraising Regulator, “Charity shops,” citing Charity Retail Association estimates.
[4] South West Londoner, “Charity shopping set for new era as charities reassess retail strategies,” January 2026, citing Charity Retail Association Q3 2025 data.
[5] AJ Bell / ONS, “UK GDP growth for 2025 revised up to 1.4% from 1.3%,” March 2026.
[6] Office for National Statistics, “Provisional population estimate for the UK: mid-2025,” November 27, 2025.
[7] GB News, “GDP growth for 2025 revealed as ONS confirms UK economy barely grew,” March 2026.
[8] Office for National Statistics, “National population projections,” 2024-based.
[9] Aravenda, “United Kingdom – Aravenda Consignment Software,” original 2024 statistics page (historical and product-category context retained from original publication).
[10] Erasers.com / AIM Group, “Footwear Industry Statistics & Data,” 2026.
[11] Capital One Shopping Research, “Thrifting Statistics (2026): Industry Size, Revenue & Growth Rate.”
[12] The Retail Bulletin, “The Second-Hand Fashion Market: Rethinking Retail,” June 2025, citing OC&C Strategy Consultants.
[13] Aravenda, “Every Big Business Started Small,” on Depop’s founding in England.