Generation Z has been brought up during a period when environmental issues are well amplified and climate change is rife and this has made sustainability a significant consideration for them. This generation is in turn resorting to the pre-Owned luxury Market wherein they purchase and sell luxury items labelled as ‘used’. These products such as designer apparels, handbags, shoes, and jewelries, appeal to the customers’ desire for luxury products at cheaper price and the green option.
A welcome trend
The glamour which Luxury brands depict to their customers make such articles extremely valuable despite being purchased and then resold at very cheap prices compared to the prices of new products in the markets. Buying the used accessories is considered environmentally friendly because it actually avoids the wastage of resources on cheap products which will soon be dumped in the market due to their inferior quality in construction while the luxury products are usually manufactured to last a long time.
Endorsements by top influencers
It is slowly becoming a popular practice with Reality TV star, Faith Nketsi, model, Jessica Mkhize and Singer Paxton Fielies being some of the local influencer who have embraced the trend. Fielies notes that sustainable luxury is an exciting concept that entails wiser and informed decisions, and wants people to think about the effect on the environment of their fashion choices, thus going for used products. Mkhize has similar views on this by answering that, if celebrities are good examples, more of them are likely to wear pre-owned designer items on the red carpet which will show that can be trendy to recycle.
Michael Zahariev, the co-founder of Luxity, a store that focuses on the buying and selling of pre-owned authentic luxury products also highlighted that the increasing concern for sustainability among Gen Z people makes the pre-owned luxury market grow at an ever-increasing rate. Thus, social media has a huge positive impact on changing the attitude toward pre-owned luxury goods since 97% of the Gen Z target consumers use them as the primary source for purchasing inspiration.
While affordability has been a challenge in recent times, the growing awareness of sustainability and the availability of flexible financing options are enabling more youngsters to participate in this trend.
