Roughly one in ten UK consumers now buys non-food goods mainly through resale platforms, according to new data from KPMG UK. The research found that 8% of shoppers across all age groups say resale sites such as Vinted and eBay have become their primary channel for non-food purchases so far in 2026, rising to 15% among 18 to 24 year olds and 11% among 25 to 34 year olds. A third of consumers have sold at least one item through a resale platform this year, averaging 5.5 items each, with the youngest group most active and a further 18% saying they have not yet sold anything but plan to before year end.
Traditional channels still account for the largest share of non-food buying. About 21% of consumers mainly buy online through UK marketplaces or retailer websites, 19% mainly shop in stores operated by established UK retailers, and 14% name established UK retailers as their main online destination. Only 5% mainly buy through international marketplaces such as Shein or Temu. Linda Ellett, KPMG UK head of consumer and retail, said growing use of consumer-to-consumer platforms is reshaping the retail landscape, with affordability, sustainability, product quality and convenience all driving demand, and that the shift is starting to affect purchases of new goods in stores. Some retailers are responding with their own resale and reuse services offering refurbishment and authenticity guarantees.
Why it matters for the pet industry
Pet durables are close to a perfect resale category, which makes this data more threatening to the sector than the headline suggests. Puppy crates, car harnesses, travel carriers, pushchairs, grooming tables, agility gear and aquarium hardware are bought for a life stage, outgrown or outlived within months, and resold in near-new condition. Every one of those transactions removes a new-unit sale while leaving consumables such as food, litter and parasite treatment untouched.
The defensible answer is not price. Biosecurity is: secondhand bedding, soft carriers and aquatic equipment carry genuine parasite and pathogen transfer risk, which supports certified refurbishment, hygiene-verified trade-in and manufacturer-backed resale rather than ceding the market.
What to watch
- Whether the 8% resale primary share rises again when KPMG next surveys UK consumers
- Pet retailers or brands launching trade-in or certified refurbished programs for crates and carriers
- New-unit volume trends in pet durables versus stable consumable replenishment through 2026
FAQ
What is the UK resale market share?
KPMG UK found 8% of shoppers across all ages now name resale sites such as Vinted and eBay as their primary channel for non-food purchases in 2026, rising to 15% among 18 to 24 year olds and 11% among 25 to 34 year olds, with a third having sold items this year.
How does resale threat affect pet durables?
Pet durables are close to a perfect resale category, more threatening than the headline suggests. Puppy crates, car harnesses, travel carriers, pushchairs, grooming tables, agility gear and aquarium hardware are bought for a life stage, outgrown within months and resold near-new, removing a new-unit sale while leaving consumables like food and litter untouched.
Which retailers offer pet resale services?
Some retailers are responding with resale and reuse services offering refurbishment and authenticity guarantees, a model pet brands can borrow. Since every resale transaction removes a new-unit sale of crates, carriers and aquarium hardware while leaving food and litter untouched, pet suppliers should push consumables and biosecurity rather than fight the secondhand durable market.
Source intelligence adapted for the GlobalPetIndex pet-industry audience. Original publication: external brief.
