Singaporean app Carousell crowns the Philippines as the most receptive Southeast Asian market for recommerce, which is the practice of buying and selling previously owned products, either new or used.

According to the Carousell Recommerce Index: 2021 Report, 92% of surveyed users in the Philippines—the highest among all SEA markets—have purchased previously owned goods, used or otherwise, over the past year. Out of all respondents, 72% have confirmed that they have bought secondhand goods via the app, while the remaining 28% have answered that they buy unused or new.

When it came to the reasons for buying second hand, out of the 72% who responded that they purchase second hand goods, answers such as “value for money” and “environmental” made up the bulk of responses. 

For the remaining 28% who have never purchased used goods, they note that product authentication and warranties on products can convince them to buy second hand. Carousell cites buyer’s hesitation as one of the key difficulties in recommerce.

Carousell also cites that in the Philippines, consumers are most comfortable buying (58%) and selling (75%) secondhand apparel. The top category for the most supply for second hand or ‘used’ goods across the board is Women’s Fashion, according to data provided since 2018. ‘Used’ Women’s Fashion and ‘used’ Men’s Fashion, respectively, sit on top as the two categories for highest demand.

Aside from the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong come in at second and third place, respectively.