Carousell rides sustainability trend in Hong Kong, aims to make buying and selling of second-hand items ‘as frictionless as possible’
- Hongkongers are becoming much more conscious about being environmentally friendly and sustainable, says platform’s managing director for the city
- Second-hand furniture has grown in popularity, thanks to Carousell, seller says
Hongkonger’s growing awareness of sustainability was a bright spot in the Southeast Asia region and has helped the classifieds firm grow its second-hand listings in the city, a trend which was expected to continue even after Covid-19 recedes, Kevin Huang, the managing director of Carousell Hong Kong, said in an interview.
“Sustainability is the reason why we started, and this continues to be the reason why we’re here today. Our goal is to make buying and selling second-hand products … as frictionless as possible,” Huang said.
“Hongkongers are becoming much more conscious about being environmentally friendly and sustainable,” he said, adding that it had become the number one reason for people in the city to buy second-hand or used items, compared to cheaper prices.
Most respondents shopping on Carousell did so for sustainability reasons, rather than to save money, according to a survey of more than 23,000 Hong Kong consumers in February conducted by Carousell Media Group and digital advertising body IAB SEA+India.
Almost half of Hongkongers who have bought second-hand items before do so for environmental reasons, ranking first among the eight markets in Southeast Asia that Carousell operates in, including Singapore and Taiwan, according to its Recommerce Index Report in November.
