Virgin Media O2 Business research finds second-hand sellers making extra £146 per month thanks to online resale platforms

• New research from Virgin Media O2 Business reveals at-home-entrepreneurship boom as 69% of Brits worried about affordability of Christmas
• With nearly 24 million Brits selling items online, second-hand sellers are making an average of £146 per month – almost £1,800 per year  

• Ahead of Christmas, Depop and Virgin Media O2 Business are sharing their six top tips to help at-home-entrepreneurs capitalise on the holiday season

New research* from Virgin Media O2 Business and Depop reveals 23.8 million Brits turning to online second-hand selling platforms, with over two thirds (69%) worried about Christmas affordability. At-home entrepreneurs are earning an average of £146 a month (£1,752 a year), enough to offset the UK’s average energy bill**, while also contributing to the circular economy.   

As 43% of Brits cut back on non-essential purchases, second hand shopping has become more important for a quarter of shoppers. In the past three months, one in five (22%) have increased their use of second-hand shopping apps, with clothing (68%) the most popular purchase followed by books and media (33%) and electronics (27%).

At-home entrepreneurship is thriving, with over a third (35%) selling belongings online in the past three months, rising to more than half (54%) of Gen Z (18-24-year-olds). These figures come as more than two-thirds (68%) of Brits look for ways to save or make additional money.

Side-hustle to main hustle success story

Vivien Tang, founder of Vivien’s Vintage, highlights the impact selling preowned products has had on her way of life. Starting as an online Depop seller in 2016, Tang has since opened a physical shop at London’s historic Brick Lane Vintage Market in 2023.

Vivien Tang, founder of Vivien’s Vintage, said, “I’ve been selling on Depop for around eight years – it was one of the first cool and aesthetic selling platforms when I started, with a tailored algorithm that filters clothing on your feed for more relevance. But now, more people are actively searching for great second-hand finds. This in turn has helped grow my shop, as people want to cut the time searching and go to a reliable shop that fits their aesthetic.

“Depop and social media have helped me transform my online shop into my main source of income. I’ve been able to reach customers around the world online while also opening my own stall at the Brick Lane Vintage Market – something I’d never dreamed was possible. Being able to sell both online and in person has been a real gamechanger.”

Top tips for at-home entrepreneurs this holiday season 

With about a week left until Christmas, Virgin Media O2 Business and Depop are revealing their six top tips to help at-home-entrepreneurs capitalise on the festive season.

1. Take good photos: Photos are an essential part of any Depop shop.
2. Write accurate descriptions: Writing clear, accurate descriptions for your items is important to help you successfully sell on Depop. Depop offers an AI description generation feature, using image recognition and generative AI technology to fill in your listing with popular item attributes, by uploading just one photo.
3. Build your personal brand: Having a consistent look for your photos can help your buyers understand what your shop is all about.
4. Use hashtags wisely: Use hashtags in your item’s description to increase its visibility on Depop.
5. Be open and honest: If buyers have questions about the items you have for sale, the best way forward is to be open and honest with them. Let them know about an issue with sizing, flaws, or details on the item.
6. Be responsive: Wherever possible, be quick to reply. Good mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity is essential to get back to potential buyers as quickly as possible.

Kimberly Wyatt, second-hand clothes lover and broadcaster says, “The holiday season is the perfect time to think about our impact on the planet. I’m a big advocate for second-hand buying and selling—it’s a simple yet impactful way to support sustainability and create a circular economy in today’s fast-paced, fast-fashion world. Online platforms like Depop make it easy, inspiring, and budget-friendly, whether I’m refreshing my wardrobe or keeping up with the pace at which my three kids grow out of their clothes. It’s also a great way to make a little extra income while giving preloved items a new life. Thoughtful, stylish, and practical—it’s a win for both the planet and everyday life.”

Ross Pearson, Head of Small Enterprise at Virgin Media O2 Business, adds, “Online second-hand marketplaces have powered a new generation of entrepreneurs. Anyone, anywhere can start a business from the comfort of their own home, powered by connectivity. Not only are they then able to make an income, they’re also sustainably giving products a second lease of life. 

“At Virgin Media O2 Business, we are proud to be able to support not only businesses that have physical stores, but also at-home-entrepreneurs. Connectivity has the power to supercharge businesses, helping them reach customers around the world.” 

Steve Dool, Director of Brand and Marketing at Depop says, “With over 180,000 new listings a day, there’s no shortage of unique and trending pieces to discover on Depop across a broad range of second-hand styles. Depop is for anyone and everyone who is open to exploring their personal style, no matter what initially brings them to the platform. We’re excited to be able to offer our community of sellers and buyers more value for money and incredible inventory, whilst also helping to keep clothes that already exist in circulation for longer.”

Whether fully digital, bricks-and-mortar, or a combination of both, Virgin Media O2 Business helps home office entrepreneurs get the connectivity solutions they need to reach their customers. Businesses can have complete confidence in transactions with 99.9% reliable broadband. On the rare occasion there’s an outage, Constant Connect with 4G broadband back-up will keep payments flowing, so work can carry on as normal while tech experts fix any problems – with onsite tech support on the scene in as little as 12 hours.

From at-home-entrepreneurs looking to scale their business, to major high street brands looking to enhance their in-store experience, Virgin Media O2 Business supports companies of all sizes to reach new heights. Visit www.virginmediao2business.co.uk to find out more.

END 

*Based on insights from:

• The Time After Time e-waste report, featuring Censuswide polling insights of 3,000 adults across the UK done between June 21-June 26, 2023.

• The Q2 2024 Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index, featuring Strand Partners’ polling insights of 2,000 nationally representative members of the UK public (by age, gender and NUT1 region) as well as 2,000 UK business leaders (e.g. CEO, C-suite, director level) between 28.06.24 – 02.07.24.

• The Q3 2024 Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index, featuring Strand Partners’ polling insights of 2,000 nationally representative members of the UK public (by age, gender and NUT1 region) as well as 2,000 UK business leaders (e.g. CEO, C-suite, director level) between 04.10.24 – 14.10.24.
• Strand Parents’ polling insights of 1,020 representative members of the UK public between 19.09.24 – 20.09.24.

**Uswitch data shows that the average energy bill for a medium sized household (3-4 bedrooms) was £143.10 per month as of November 2024.

About Virgin Media O2
Virgin Media O2 launched on 1 June 2021, combining the UK’s largest and most reliable mobile network with a broadband network offering the fastest widely-available broadband speeds. It is a customer-first organisation that brings a range of connectivity services together in one place with a clear mission: to upgrade the nation. Virgin Media O2 is the corporate brand of the 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA, and one of the UK’s largest businesses.
The company has 47 million UK connections across broadband, mobile, TV and home phone. Its own fixed network currently passes 16.1 million premises alongside a mobile network that covers 99% of the nation’s population with 4G, and more than 1,600 towns and cities with 5G services targeting 50% population coverage in 2023.

About Depop 
Depop is the community-powered circular fashion marketplace where anyone can buy, sell and discover desirable, affordable secondhand fashion. Together with its community of approximately 35 million registered users, Depop is on a mission to make fashion circular – encouraging more people to choose secondhand and extend the lives of their clothes, redefining fashion consumption. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in London, with offices in New York and Manchester and a team of approximately 400 employees. In 2021, Depop became a wholly owned subsidiary of Etsy – the global marketplace for unique and creative goods – and continues to operate as a standalone company. Find out more at www.depop.com.