UK festival season inspires boom in second-hand and vintage shopping, new data from Checkout.com reveals
New data from digital payments specialist Checkout.com has revealed a significant spike in spending on second-hand and vintage outfits around the UK’s festival season.
The company reported the largest spike in purchases of vintage and second-hand fashion items on 26th May, with a 28% increase in sales compared to the weekly average. This peak occurred exactly one month ahead of popular festival Glastonbury, which suggests consumers may have been shopping in advance to allow for outfit planning and delivery times.
Checkout.com also noticed a 23% increase in second-hand sales in the week leading up to 2nd June and again in the week of 30th June. It says this reflects pre-event purchasing ahead of Latitude Festival in July.
As the UK’s festival season continues, Checkout.com expects to see a similar pattern around other large events.
The company’s Trust in the Digital Economy 2025 report argues this pattern reflects a wider pattern in consumer behaviour, particularly for younger generations. Nearly 30% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers in the UK say they prefer buying from secondhand marketplaces and 21% frequently sell their own items online.
“With festival culture and sustainable fashion increasingly intertwined, our data shows that shoppers are timing their second-hand clothes purchases to align with the UK’s major summer music events. This reflects a broader shift: younger consumers are not only dressing for the event, they’re dressing with values in mind – opting for affordability, individuality, and sustainability when it comes to their purchases. We talk about this as the rise of conscious consumerism,” says Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com.
“For circular fashion retailers and marketplaces, this is a clear signal to gear up for seasonal peaks beyond the traditional retail sales periods. These trends also demonstrate the increasing importance of sustainability to consumers - something that all fashion retailers should consider when marketing to their customers.”
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
Payments will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards. which will open for entries in April, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”
He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”
“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”
Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.
For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.
Continue reading…