How Brands and Influencers are making Pre-loved Aspirational

At this year’s SXSW London, Eve Williams from our client eBay alongside two of our long-term brand ambassadors, Tasha Ghouri and Jen Graham, held a powerful discussion on how brands, platforms and influencers are making second-hand not just sustainable, but aspirational.

Together, they delved into what’s fuelling consumer appetite for circularity, and how we can remove the friction from second-hand shopping to make it a seamless and exciting choice for everyone.

Steve Oliver framed the challenge clearly: “our biggest competitor is apathy” - an indifference to re-selling or re-cycling unused items in our homes. With over £16 billion worth of unused tech sitting in UK drawers, platforms like musicMagpie and eBay are working to make re-commerce effortless. Whether it’s instant payment kiosks in Asda, or eBay making it free for people to sell, the goal is clear: we need to remove the barriers.

As Eve Williams explained, our job is to make buying and selling pre-loved items as seamless as possible.” From fashion to electronics, eBay is investing in technology and trust to scale the circular economy.

Influencing change through culture...

Through eBay’s game-changing sponsorship of Love Island, we’ve seen influencers like Tasha Ghouri play a pivotal role in reshaping perceptions of second-hand fashion.

“Before Love Island, I was all about fast fashion,” Tasha shared. “But being re-educated through the show changed everything. Now I’m proud to wear and re-wear pieces with a story.”

She’s not alone. 71% of Gen Z now buy pre-loved, a shift driven in part by influencers who use their platforms to make sustainability stylish, personal and aspirational.

Whereas 10 years ago, buying pre-loved was “all a bit niche and a bit grubby”, commented Steve, “now it's mainstream, glamorous and savvy”.  

Beyond fashion: a shift across sectors

While fashion remains a key driver, the panel also explored how second-hand behaviours are spreading across categories, from refurbished tech and home appliances to imperfect beauty stock. Eve highlighted how eBay’s focus on authenticity guaranteed listings for everything from Dyson hairdryers to mobile phones is helping consumers trust what they’re buying, while enabling consumers to access brands they might not have considered affordable at full price.

Steve added: “Refurb isn’t fringe anymore. 25% of mobile phones sold are now refurbished, and platforms like musicMagpie are proving that secondhand can be smart, reliable and increasingly, people’s first choice.”

Rethinking retail and using tech to drive behaviour

The panel closed with a look at what’s next. AI and connected commerce are making circular shopping more accessible than ever, whether it’s scanning a barcode to instantly list a product or platforms using algorithms to recommend pre-loved pieces based on individual style.

Eve summed it up: “We need to invest in technology that enables easier, more rewarding and more integrated resale.”

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