Kijiji launches first-of-its-kind Index report examining the second-hand economy across the country
MONTREAL, Feb. 24, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Quebecers contribute to the second-hand economy far less than their Canadian counterparts, according to the inaugural Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index. The landmark study undertaken by Kijiji and conducted in collaboration with the Université du Québec à Montréal and the University of Toronto reveals that, last year, consumers in La Belle Province extended the life of an average of 50 products in comparison to 76 for the rest of Canada. The study also measures for the first time the contributions of the second-hand economy on the country's GDP, job creation and consumers' bottom line.
Key highlights from the Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index include:
- On average, each Canadian grants a second life to 76 products each year, across 22 product categories through buying, selling, trading and donating via peer-to-peer channels such as online classifieds, donations, local thrift shops and more.
- The Prairies and Alberta appear significantly more engaged in second-hand practices, respectively granting a second life to 115 and 106 products.
- Quebec registered the lowest score with 50.
- The most commonly exchanged goods through second-hand practices are:
- Clothing, shoes and fashion accessories
- Entertainment equipment such as Blu-ray players, DVDs, CDs, etc.
- Baby clothing and accessories
- Annual spending on second-hand durable and semi-durable goods can be estimated to be $30 billion, roughly 15 per cent of the value of new goods purchased.
- This spending is said to generate approximately $34 billion of additional gross domestic product (GDP) in Canada, as it diverts income from imports.
"The money generated from our second-hand purchases stays in our country and is redistributed, helping both the local and national economy," explains Fabien Durif, Professor of marketing at the UQAM School of Management, Director of the Observatoire de la consommation responsable and co-author of the study. "The second-hand economy is not only good for our country's financial prosperity but also for our wallets as the average family of four can save approximately $1,150 per year by buying second-hand goods."
The year 2015 represents a milestone for Kijiji as it is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As such, Kijiji commissioned this major study in order to gain a clearer understanding of the growing phenomenon that is the second-hand economy and its significance for consumers across the country.
"For a decade now, Kijiji has been contributing to communities throughout Quebec by enabling individuals and families to make considerable savings and earnings through the second-hand market," said Marc-André Hade Strategic Marketing Manager at Kijiji. "The results of the first annual Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index are therefore quite encouraging and we are proud to see that our online classifieds site creates a significant win-win-win situation by helping Quebec families, the economy and the environment. We encourage everyone to keep growing this new economy and reap its benefits! "
The complete results of the Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index are available at consommationresponsable.kijiji.ca. Quebecers can share how they participate in the second-hand economy through social media by using #RDVconso.
About Kijiji
Kijiji, which means "village" in Swahili, is the number one classifieds website in Canada, connecting 12 million buyers and sellers each month. With local sites for more than 100 cities and towns across the country, including in Quebec, Kijiji makes it easy for its users to find exactly what they're looking for in their own community. According to comScore October 2014 data, in Quebec, 48% of Internet users use this service, and Kijiji sites receive over 2.9 million unique visitors per month.
About the UQAM School of Management | Observatoire de la consommation responsable
The Observatoire de la consommation responsable (OCR) is a University organization focused on knowledge transfer based at the School of Management Sciences of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Composed of roughly fifteen researchers and directed by Professor Fabien Durif (Ph.D.), the OCR regularly produces studies on eco-responsible commercialization in Quebec and around the world. Its mission is to contribute to the development of scientific and practical analysis of the responsible consumption phenomenon by giving university and institutional researchers, practitioners, citizens, NPOs and media access to existing knowledge and relevant data.
About the Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index
Data was collected using a sample of 2003 total respondents representative of the Canadian population. The survey was conducted online in partnership with MBA Recherche. Respondents were selected from a pan-Canadian Web panel according to pre-specified retention criteria such as gender, age and place of residence. Given that responses were obtained from a panel, the computation of the margin of error does not apply. This research was conducted by the Observatoire de la Consommation Responsable, under the supervision of Fabien Durif.
From an economics perspective, the methodology used was within the framework of input-output modeling and multiplier analysis that is widely used in macroeconomics. The aim was to answer the question of whether second-hand spending is likely to provide a positive economic benefit, or detract from economic growth by reducing purchases of new goods. This research was conducted by Peter Spiro from the University of Toronto.
SOURCE Kijiji Canada
Vanessa Migliacci | Véronique Beauchamp, 514 739-1188, extension 225 | 247, [email protected] | [email protected]
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