Carousell – making second-hand the first choice

This post is sponsored by Carousell.

As eCommerce grows and people buy more things, they often end up with things they don’t use as often. But instead of eCommerce’s cycle of buying new, and throwing old, Carousell Group, the leading classifieds group in Greater Southeast Asia, allows for recommerce instead. 

Anytime you buy, sell or give away something second-hand to someone else, you opt for recommerce and become a part of the circular economy. Carousell started a decade ago with a purpose to address and solve a global problem of overconsumption and excess.

There are so many underutilised items in our lives that we either end up throwing them away or leaving them sitting in our homes. By selling these items or buying second-hand, underused items can find a new lease of life with those who would value them more, which in turn, reduces waste – a win-win situation overall. 

“As a pioneer for mobile classifieds in the region, Carousell Group has been constantly working to remove friction and enable secure, seamless transactions,” said Lucas Ngoo, co-founder, Carousell.

“With the use of AI and data, we have been focused on accelerating our recommerce leadership in the region to make buying second-hand trusted and convenient. This, in turn, will help solve the meaningful problem of overconsumption with recommerce, and thus, make second-hand the first choice for consumers.” 

What was once a cumbersome, desktop-only process, is as easy as snapping a photo on your phone and selling or browsing with ease to buy. Continuously iterating to remove friction from the buy-sell process of second-hand by leveraging AI, data and predictive features, classifieds have supercharged the recommerce trend in the region. 

There is a growing appetite for recommerce in the region, more urgently, there is a looming environmental need to shift to circular modes of consumption.

According to Carousell’s inaugural sustainability report, the Recommerce Index 2021, 72% of users surveyed across Carousell’s eight markets have made second-hand purchases before. With the region on the cusp of a green economy, it was also outlined that fashion and electronics are two of Carousell’s largest categories, as well as some of the most unsustainably consumed products across the region. 

To tackle e-waste, Carousell piloted a certified mobiles programme in Singapore last year, offering a 12-month warranty for used mobile phones to offer users a like-new experience at second-hand prices. This means you can have a second-hand phone, but with assurances guaranteed, with warranties and free returns. Likewise, Carousell is also looking at authentication capabilities for fashion and higher-value second-hand products, including luxury goods and auto.

Enabling responsible consumption and participation in the circular economy are some of  Carousell’s key business drivers, and there is a shift that will be crucial for the environment, and one that Carousell predicts will take the spotlight in the next decade. 

“By 2030, we want to create an inversion: first-hand eCommerce will supplement recommerce, with consumers inspired and enabled to reuse items and only buying new when necessary or after they have sold something,” Ngoo said.

“Solving more barriers to second-hand, Carousell will reimagine the classifieds experience with a focus on convenience and trust to make second-hand the first choice.”

The Carousell Recommerce Index (2021 Report) is available for download here.