Youngsters taking to second-hand selling

Without a marketing or sales background, many youngsters are making profits online by selling their used goods.
From large items such as real estate down to shoes or clothes, entrepreneurs are using technology to sell second-hand products on social media websites, long after the practice had become common outside the Kingdom.
People’s desire to buy items not available in the market and their need to save money are pushing toward an electronic comeback for second-hand stores in the Kingdom. Demand is growing bigger, particularly with pieces that don’t show signs of age or look as if they are used. Sellers report cases of public competition between people trying to buy the same goods.
Some say people no longer consider buying second-hand goods shameful. Turki Basem, 45, has been collecting used merchandise as a hobby and decided to use his hobby as a way to make money. The collector says that technology is making his business profitable as he buys and sells products on social media.
Economic analyst and businessman, Rashed Al-Fouzan, praised the new trend, explaining it opened opportunities for more people to venture into business. One positive outcome of this method is instilling methods of recycling among people and teaching them not to throw away old products.
Designer and business woman, Batool Jamjoom, told Arab News that women used to swap, sell and rent their used clothes in women’s shops. She believes that using technology is effective as it gives women who are confined at home the opportunity to shop and to stay within their budget.
Thanks to these websites, 25-year-old Maryam Abdullah was able to make her wedding an especially happy occasion. As she surfed famous designers’ websites, she was disappointed as her budget was limited. Then she found an ad for a used wedding gown from a woman in another city.
“I was afraid that the dress wouldn’t be as good as the picture showed or it might not fit me properly but I took the risk,” she told Arab News. After she contacted the seller and they agreed on payment and the mode of its sending, they decided that the dress could be returned if Maryam didn’t like it.
“I was surprised to find it almost like new,” she said and the experience encouraged her to try the same method for other things.
On the other hand, sellers say they can help others by selling their old products which doesn’t necessarily reflect poverty. Zeina Ghassan, 27, remembers how good she felt when another women liked and bought her wedding dress years after it had hung in the closet, “I sold it for SR 5,000, half the price that I originally paid for it,” she said.
Some people shared their bad experiences with Arab News and asked for more regulations and laws.
Maha Omar, 32, was the victim of fraud when she bought a dress from an Instagram user, “The dress was in bad shape, torn and had been used many times. Unfortunately, when I complained to the woman who had sold it, there was no response,” she complained.
The growing popularity of second-hand online shopping has resulted in some business people to ask for ways to protect consumers from fraud or dishonesty.
“It’s better to have a body that regulates and monitors these sites and licenses them in order to prevent fraud and deceit,” designer Jamjoom said.