We often drift to purchasing something new and shiny, fresh off the shelves, when we think of buying something. Retail and advertising industry techniques are also made to influence us into purchasing “unused” and “unopened” products by offering a perfect, clean look and an unboxing experience tailor-made to entice and excite us. With such a mindset setting the norm for how products are purchased, it has been difficult to change our lifestyles to appreciate preloved products. But change is on the horizon.

As the years have rolled by, the preowned product market has surged, with such items being considered “cool” and “stylish”. The adoption of online marketplaces such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree has made it easier for people to sell and buy used products, leading to further acceptance of used and pre-owned products.

Before we dive into the benefits of pre-owned products let’s first look at some facts about how purchasing happens.

Typically in a purchasing process, the customers go through several steps according to research. These include problem recognition, product research, comparison and evaluation, product purchase, and feedback. Factors such as brand, price, risk, and seller location, also play a significant role and are considered closely by consumers/buyers in purchasing decisions.

The steady increase in the pre-owned and used product market shows that people are considering these factors more diligently.

• The global used goods market is expected to grow by 24% in 2022.
•  62% of Gen Z and millennial consumers said they look for used items before buying new ones.
• The used apparel market value worldwide is estimated to rise by 83% by 2026. This is a good sign considering that currently, 84% of clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators.
• The global used car market is projected to increase by 8.3% by 2027 to reach $1,355 billion USD.
• Used book purchases have increased by 5.5% in 2022

Considering these numbers, we can see the trend moving towards a more sustainable market position.

And with this trend comes some benefits. 

Reduce demand for natural resources

Buying pre-owned products allow us to add items to our life without using additional resources in the manufacturing process. For example, the fashion industry which is responsible for 8-10%of global carbon emissions uses massive amounts of water and exploits workers and animals worldwide. Buying clothes that already exist slows down the fast fashion cycle and avoids other garments from being manufactured.

Increased affordability and accessibility

Used and pre-owned products typically cost much less than those fresh off the shelves. This makes expensive products such as phones and electronic items which are considered essential today more affordable for consumers in lower price brackets.

Less overstocked and underused items in our wardrobes and shelves

If we think about buying for the need, and not for the “new” experience, we are more likely to make purchasing decisions as the need arises rather than falling prey to overconsuming. This reduces the number of products in our lives and gives us better utility management with what we own.

Making it a lifestyle choice, decoupling from affordability, and purchasing power

Lifestyle can be defined as “a pattern of consumption that reflects a person’s choices about how they spend time and money, but in many cases, it also refers to the attitudes and values attached to these behavioral patterns.”

This mindset can be established by increasing the awareness of the consumer on the benefits of living and being conscious of the impacts on the environment.

A fact that is undeniable considering the purchase of preowned items is that, there is a reasonable level of stigma associated with it. Especially, in consumer products such as clothes and shoes, the factor of compromised hygiene plays a critical role. There is an underlying assumption that pre-owned items are often made available targeting consumers who can afford to buy them but not the new. However, pre-owned items are not only for those who purchase them because they are affordable but also for consumers with higher purchasing power who could buy new but choose to purchase them as a lifestyle choice.

What actions can be taken to influence further adoption of pre-owned products?

1. Create a positive purchasing experience when buying preowned goods

As we all know, the experience of unboxing a brand-new product has its charm. If pre-owned goods are to build a greater market demand, they should be presented in an appealing and desirable manner. Presenting the products in the best light, refurbished to provide a clean and polished look to the product could give the product more appeal to customers.

How we talk about used and pre-owned and/or used products matters a lot as well. There is typically a greater negative connotation associated with the term second-hand and the term “used” or “pre-owned” is more on the neutral side. Identifying them as “pre-loved” items provides a positive association with the product as is often seen to be used by marketers.

2. Create ambassadors for pre-used buying 

It can not be denied that influencers (such as celebrities) have a significant impact on market trends and cultural norms. Partnering with these influencers could help send a positive message about championing a more sustainable lifestyle that embraces pre-owned goods. This trend has already begun with examples such as Tasha Ghouri who became eBay’s first ‘pre-loved ambassador.  Kate Middleton from the British royal family is often observed to recycle her wardrobe,  discarding the tradition of wearing new as a celebrity all the time.

3. Active promotion by brand owners with a positive connotation, encouragement, and incentives

As market demand for pre-owned goods increases it would be beneficial for brand owners to initiate programs and incentives for their adoption. For example, Apple has a certified refurbished program that repairs and resells preowned products as good as new. Companies such as Thredup, the RealReal, and Depop also specialize in resiling products.

Be it environmental, financial or simply a lifestyle choice, going for pre-owned products comes with its own challenges and benefits. But, when we look at its objectives, the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Our choices will not only influence our own life but also send a message to manufacturers and the community at large to encourage a shift towards a future that appreciates the purpose of a product than its mere existence as a new unboxing experience.

The post Looking at Preowned Goods in a New Light appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Gift-giving has been an age-old practice and has evolved to fit different traditions and cultural norms over time. They were given on special occasions to display one’s affection or as incentives and rewards.

But over time, this wholesome practice has turned into a well-oiled machine of consumerism. We, as consumers have turned to practices such as giving gifts that often lay collecting dust on forgotten basements or landfills. Not only has this act of thoughtfulness turned into a shallow expression of instantaneous gratification but has also led to a lot of unutilized or underutilized products, hence wasted material.

Let’s look at some facts,

• The overall cost of unwanted gifts over the holidays worldwide is approximately $24 billion USD with an estimated waste of £700 million in the UK, $400 million in Australia, and $13 billion in the US.
• In the UK in 2018, it was estimated that Brits threw away the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper after Christmas was over.
• Five million tons of waste is generated over Christmas, four million of which is wrapping paper and shopping bags in the USA
• It is estimated that around 50,000 trees are cut down each year to make enough wrapping paper.

Impacts of gifts on the environment

The first aspect to question about a gift is whether it would be useful and desirable to the receiver. If it is functionally not useful, technically, the valuable material in the wrong place, in other words, waste, that has an environmental cost in creating a gesture.

Another aspect is the extent of value added to the product to make it look and feel “special”, which is often boosted through unnecessary packaging.

So, for giving to be worthwhile and less burdensome on the environment, what would we need to do?

Questioning the practice of gift giving

As every product satisfies a fundamental human need, the thoughtfulness of giving a gift can simply be shifted to questioning, “what needs of the recipient do you intend to fulfill by giving?”

It would not be difficult to identify the “service” or the “utility” that a gift is associated with if you look at it from that point of view. Going for low-impact and regenerative ways of satisfying that need and communicating thoughtfulness or affection through it can be a good place to start.

What are 6 ways to rethink gift giving?

1 Give services as gifts for growth, experience, and satisfaction

This is a great opportunity for a person to try something new, grow and learn. Compared to a tangible item being produced, when you take part in an activity, there is less environmental impact in general. In addition, they are very personal and memorable. Some examples could be music lessons, intriguing online classes, or a subscription to an entertainment platform.

2 Look for preloved or second-hand gifts

Though gifts are sometimes valued based on how new and expensive they are, they do not need to be. If the product has the same utility and is still usable, giving a preloved gift is a great way to reduce the impact of producing it brand new. There is immense potential seen in this sector of pre-loved and used items with a study in the retail sector showing that the resale market is expected to nearly double between 2015 and 2022 with apparel and electronics leading the way.

3 Give access to gifts and products rather than the product itself

Gifting a means of accessing products instead of the gift itself can be worthwhile. Providing a membership to a toy library rather than buying a toy, or library membership rather than a book could open up a world of new gifts. These types of gift ideas might also introduce your loved one to a new lifestyle and a way of living, in addition to having the ability to experience a wide variety of choices, instead of just one.

4 Give the choice to the receiver

Rather than buying items that would be kept on shelves and discarded, giving gift vouchers is a handy way to help the receiver to buy an item they need. This will prevent them from spending unnecessarily on additional products and replace their consumer spending with your gift.

5 Say no to expensive packaging as a way of differentiation

It is evident that some packaging is made exquisite to communicate how special/unique it is. The packaging is used as a differentiator to charge premium prices. Some classic examples include perfumes and home care items with lavish packaging.

The more these tactics are encouraged by consumers, the more they will be used as a differentiator, to upsell regular products. Customers can question this aspect by asking for more information about the packaging and making informed decisions about how to spend their money.

6 Say no to trinkets

Souvenirs and replicas, coming in the form of stuffed animals, plaques etc. are often items that collect dust and bring less practical use on a day-to-day basis. While some might carry sentimental value, there is a limit that we can accumulate more and more of these items which we don’t use and keep it close to us. So, it is likely that they will clutter up where we live and be relegated to the basement or attic.

How we overcome this from the givers’ point of view would need thinking. As an example, if the same thing is given to a mass of people, gifting products that have a high frequency of use and high utility, which people usually do not have a particular taste for (e.g. towels, cups, and mugs) may ensure its use more than otherwise.

Ultimately, the gifts we give in a regenerative society, are gifts to celebrate – not just because it means something to the receiver, but because it is respectful to the environment.

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“You’ll Own Nothing and You’ll Be Happy,”

A statement in an essay by Danish MP Ida Auken sparked countless debates about a dystopian future looming on the horizon. Yet we all tend to agree now that there is some truth behind the undeniable trend of accessing things for use without owning them.

Be it, lending a helping hand or letting your neighbor borrow your lawnmower, sharing has been an integral part of society and communities for a long time. From the humble library accessible to anyone to bustling online portals like Airbnb and Uber show us every day that there is a demand for “sharing instead of buying.” But what happens when this concept is applied to things other than books or expensive assets? And more importantly what type of goods can this be applied effectively?

Why borrow?

Under the broad umbrella of circular economy, we talk about sharing as one of the most preferred strategies to increase the utilization of existing products that are manufactured. The idea is to avoid the production of another item by making the product accessible to a broader community other than the owner, and almost wholly avoiding the resource and energy footprint that would have otherwise been spent.

On the other hand, sharing is the cornerstone of a collective community helping one another. Being a valued partner to share and hence contribute to consolidating strengths to make up for shortcomings of the society, so that the broader society can collectively prosper leads to equity in distribution.

So, what items are usually more suitable to borrow than buy?
The answer is almost anything that you do not use on a regular basis. In general, items that have

• lower frequency of use (such as drills, tools),
• seasonal use (such as camping gear, fishing gear) or
• where the consumer needs to outgrow the product quickly (e.g. toys, kids items)
• single use, mostly as the product has exhausted the needs of the user with one cycle of use (e.g. books)

So, what are the benefits of borrowing over buying?

Save money by paying a fraction of the purchase cost

Buying a tool or equipment is at times expensive, particularly when the item will be used at a low frequency. Items such as lawnmowers, drills, and garden sheers can be borrowed for a fraction of the price of buying new.

Ensure items get a full life of use

Some tools we buy are used once or twice and are then left to collect dust in the garage or attic. Going to a borrowing system will ensure that these items will be used by those that require them.

Reducing over-manufacturing leading to de-materialization

As more tools and equipment are borrowed when needed, it will avoid manufacturing another, saving the environmental footprint associated with the process. Now, to answer the question of whether the manufacturers will run out of business due to this – not really. Manufacturers may need to shift to different revenue models where they can charge per use rather than charge for purchasing the product. With higher accessibility, we can expect that the need for services will rise, so it would a different mode of revenue generation for manufacturers, rather than a reduction.

Free up space in homes

As we move into living in more dense and smaller houses, storage space becomes quite the issue. When, we have large equipment we seldom use, hogging up our space, it becomes inconvenient. Borrowing this equipment when needed and freeing up space is less hassle in the long run.

Knowing that you would use the item for a shorter time will enable borrowing items you would not usually buy. One such example is the toy slide/toy truck in the picture, which I personally would not consider buying as it occupies a lot of space but wouldn’t mind borrowing from a toy library for my son to play with for 2 weeks.

Taking it forward

Libraries for books have been in existence since the 7th century BCE. As way back as 1943, tools and equipment libraries have been operational. The first of these libraries opened in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where they offered a collection of tools for the use of the community due to the scarcity of tools during the war. Over the years organizations like library of things and the thingery have opened worldwide to offer similar services.

With the concept of the circular economy gaining wide attention, it is never a better time to broaden the use of the concept and to do it more often, not just for the environment or to optimize resource use, but for community benefits at large.

The post Why buy when we can borrow? appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

Most of the products we use every day are influenced by the ideas and mindset that originated from the industrial era (when resources seemed infinite, and sustainability was a mere niche). Designing to produce at the lowest cost (i.e. for products differentiating on cost) or the optimum cost (i.e. for products differentiating on quality and optimizing economies of scale opportunities) are at the heart of this industrial era design mindset. Manufacturing products with superior performance that earns a competitive edge in the market is also a similar aspect. In trying to optimize costs, aesthetic appearance, and performance, incorporating aspects that consider the environment in that era is given little thought.

The trade-offs of that model are evident. A few would be, economies of scale that need excessive resource extraction or manufacturing in regions that offer the lowest cost and shipping across the globe. Both have detrimental impacts in terms of resources and emissions respectively.

Regenerative design that aligns with circular economy has a different line of thinking. One such concept is to design for end-of-life management from the perspective that it will be converted to a different product. End of life in this instance does not necessarily have to be dismantling the product into components and recycling the components to recover the materials. The design of the primary product can be considered enough to take into account the design of the secondary product that uses the same components as the primary.

One such example is the do-it-yourself (DIY) projects of IKEA, which provides design challenges to use the components and remanufacture new products. Another example would be designing a gift wrapper to be wallpaper or a calendar, or designing an envelope to be a file cover at the end of its first useful life.

With all that said, as consumers, we have our part to play as well.

1. Question the end of life of the product at the time of purchase

We should be able to visualize what would happen to the product and how we use it during and at the end of its life. If you are buying a souvenir and branded merchandise, for example, a thorough questioning will help you understand whether it will be a dust collector at the use phase and end up as a mixed waste following spring cleaning.

2. Demand end of life information

A product design that has carefully considered the end of life and has at least provided disposal or recycling instructions is worthy of your consideration. Products that go the extra mile and encourage upcycling are even more desirable.

3. Embrace creativity

Though some products have detailed upcycle pathways, the majority of products do not. Does this mean we must throw away the products that are reaching their end of life? No. If we sprinkle in a little creatively and look at the products in a different light we can give them a new purpose and a new lease on life. For example, teapots to flowerpots or old ladders to bookshelves, and many more. The safety and practicality of the new use of the product is the only aspect needing a little extra consideration.

4. Patronise products with multiple service cycles and designed for secondary life

Buying a product makes the consumer a custodian of the resources that it constitutes. Better performance for the resources paid for comes with multiple cycles of regenerative use. Products that provide a specific material pathway that caters to two different needs of the same consumer would indeed be a prized buy.

For example, Patagonia, in one of their Black Friday Sales campaigns in 2020 had the tagline “buy less demand more.” Making a statement about the consumer’s power to ask for more things in a product rather than buying more things to fill in the needs.

Using the discretionary power of consumers and asking the manufacturers to rethink the optimum resource use through multiples cycles of regenerative products is a reality not too far away. So let’s take our first steps to achieve this goal.

If you’re interested in the other articles in this series please feel free to read my other work,

• Matching Does Not Mean Identical
• A Product Can Still Be Functional Even Though It Is Imperfect

Follow Anvarta for more of these stories and insights.

The post Purposeful Design Is the One That Thinks of the Next Life of a Product appeared first on Dr Mayuri Wijayasundara.

We dread to have our favorite kettles, toasters, mixers, or irons broke. Not only is it hard to repair them, having to let go of something that we liked and was working perfectly fine is also not an easy thing. What comes on top of that is the extra burden to now search for a replacement, compare, evaluate and make the purchase.

Research suggests that people’s purchasing habits are such that they do not like to keep on buying or upgrading all products the same way (Cox et al., 2013). The perceived lifetimes of various products can be broken down into 3 categories,

• Up–to-date products are replaced before they are broken because the consumer perceived them to be out of date. (Eg: Clothes, mobile phones)
• Workhorse products are more in line with the functional durability of the product. (Eg: small appliances, replicable furniture)
• Investment products are perceived as ‘special’ in some way and therefore worth investing in. These are generally expensive products and/or have an emotional connection and can be unique for each consumer. (Eg: Vehicles, or the favorite cooking appliance)

When we are looking to replace these products, our behavior is influenced by a range of factors that affect each category differently (van den Berge et al., 2021). How we value a product is at the core of whether we keep using, repairing, or replacing it.

Here are some of the things to think about when deciding on the fate of such products.

Is it safe to keep on using it is it one of the key questions to ask? If a product breaks down exposing the users to a potential safety hazard, it is out of the question to keep using it. On the other hand, if it is aesthetics or a minor glitch, it makes sense to try out several other solutions. Our current problem is that the product manufacturers are not geared or equipped yet to provide us more options other than buying another brand new or discarding the product entirely (Even though the right to repair movement is gaining traction in some counties it will take some time before it becomes a mainstream practice. )

Here are some of those services in the middle that we should make ourselves ready to accept and considering that these options had been available, are we ready to settle with a less than perfect product but good enough to function on for its intended purpose.

What we can do as consumers and what should we increasingly demand from producers?

Here are some of the things we can do as consumers 

1. Cleaning

At times products are thrown away due to sheer discoloration from use. Fingerprints created with prolonged use, stains that have persisted which may require some specialized knowledge of chemicals to apply are some examples. If a cleaned product provides a renewed appearance for an otherwise functional product, that is worthy to consider.

2. Servicing

Often mechanical equipment is discarded due to their noise while operating. A bit of lubrication and mechanical parts cleaning may be all it needs.

3. Minor repairs

A kettle handle may break or a toaster would have one of the rubber cushioning pads which provides a perfectly flat landing may go missing. The product remains functional but needs additional consideration from the user.

Discarding an item such as this is only the third option, where the first option is to keep using it with additional consideration in operating the product, and the second is whether there is anything that can be done to fix/reduce the effect and use it. If we do not have the mentality of “perfection” in a product to provide us the “perfect convenience” several safe options may be uncovered.

What can manufacturers do,

1. Encourage product care and maintenance.

People only take care of products that can be maintained easily, have the means to repair, and are motivated to keep using the product without replacement. A few strategies to encourage product repair are making the maintenance process enjoyable, less technical, and providing a trigger such as a notification to remind the consumer.

2. Offer product buyback and subscription models

Manufacturers that offer products that are in the up-to-date product category such as mobile phones can offer buyback services that will provide discounts on future purchases. This creates a win-win situation where the customer is satisfied and the manufacturer retains the loyalty of the customer. Offering a product service system and access to services rather than the ownership of the product is another great way to go so that the product remains in use.

3. Provide services for major repairs

This is where the safe use of the product has been compromised or functionally it is inoperable so having it sent to the manufacturer for proper repairs might be the obvious choice. Therefore providing an easy and hassle-free process for customers to receive this service is important.

4. Provide support for minor repairs

Introducing buying options for spare parts for do-it-yourself (DIY) minor repairs and providing repair guides for such are other options, which would come as a value-added service to the product.

5. Testing and certifications

Manufacturers are still far away from refurbishing and recertifying products for reuse giving pre-loved and used products the credibility it requires to create consumer confidence.

If we shift from the “privileged ” mindset that resources are infinite and the notion of “a new product is always within hands reach as long as there is means to afford it”, a whole new set of middle-level consumption options start to appear.

A product’s operability is not always one or zero, there are many in between if we care to notice.

Follow Anvarta for more of these stories and insights.

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Dinner sets, tea sets, cutlery, plates, and dishes – You may have received them as a gift or purchased them at your fancy, yet one common thing is that they needed to match, or in other words, be a complete set.

“Match” is a tricky word we usually tend to associate with similar things when it comes to sets of items available in a pack. There is often the tendency to have them in packs of 4, 6, 8, 12, or 18. The bad part about these things coming in a pack is that when one breaks, it creates a feeling of “incompleteness” with the user. Marketing research suggests that people generally prefer to buy things as a package or pack and that is often a strategy used to promote and sell more items by producers.

In one study when participants were presented with a four-pack container, pre-filled with one, two, or three bottles of beer—they overwhelmingly said that they would purchase only the extras needed to fill all four slots, no more and no less (Barasz et al., 2017). The discomfort created by incompleteness is real!

What is likely to happen when a cup of a 4-piece tea set breaks may be different from what happens when a plate of an 18-piece plate set breaks. With the first one, there is the realization that you may not be able to provide tea for a family of four anymore and that may trigger a new purchase of another complete set sooner.

But does the “matching” need to be accomplished with identical designs? Can producers produce somewhat standardized, yet can be differently matched items? Or more importantly, as consumers can we still feel “complete” if we complete a set with mismatched items?

Here are a few things that you can do as a consumer

1. Associate your preference with the item itself, not the matching set

Pick the ones that you like best, and feel free to love them. If you break one, there is no need to lose the whole set, as you still have the option to use what remains.

2. Make it a lifestyle, do not associate with affordability

You may have money to afford a new set, but the temptation you need to manage is whether you should. The happiness you associate with still having the items you liked best, even though it’s imperfect, and the benefit you do to the environment (and the pocket) by not purchasing another should outweigh the trouble of finding another matching set.

3. Declare your choice upfront to visitors and guests

How we will be perceived when serving guests with unmatching cutlery is a concern we might have? Would it be seen as a lack of preparation or respect? But, tackling it is easy – Be bold enough to tell why you do it when you lay out the table or offer tea. You may end up being an ambassador of a message of regeneration.

4. Favor the brands that provide mismatching options that go together

Brands that offer options for mismatching items to match are something to seek and favor in the long run. Sellers need to develop the capability to offer exit to consumers (such as return an earring of a lost pair and get another set) or options to mismatch. Different patterns in the same color, the option to purchase one or many, custom order a replacement at a reasonable price are a few things producers can do to help improve this trend.

5. Gain awareness of alternative sources and schemes to purchase

It is a great idea to know where the local op-shops (or recycled items stores as we call it technically) are at because they may have several mismatched options that match. Using subscription or renting for occasions is another great alternative, where you may even get the chance to find similar matching items without having to own them at all and get a chance to have mismatched sets at your discretion for day-to-day household consumption. If we think about it deeper, a match is what we define and find appealing- rather than a set of identical items. That definition and appreciation is something we all can do, whether we have similar items or not.

Follow Anvarta for more resources for brands and producers on the “Matching does not need to be identical” theme.

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