New South Wales is leading in purchases for luxury handbags and sneakers on eBay, with Victoria coming close behind.
In purchasing data revealed to Ragtrader, eBay Australia's Sophie Onikul said Australians are searching for high-end brands with sales tripling in key categories.
“When it comes to handbags, we’ve seen double digit growth in brands like Fendi, Gucci and Saint Laurent over the last two years.
“Sneaker sales have seen triple digit growth over the last three years with best sellers including brands like Nike, Adidas, Air Jordan, Yeezy and New Balance.
“We’ve also seen pre-loved fashion trending with customers searching for Aussie brands like Manning Cartell, Zimmermann and Country Road.
"The growth in these categories indicates increased pressure from the rising cost of living."
New South Wales is the top state for handbag and sneaker purchases, with Victoria close behind.
When looking at specific areas, eBay’s top five postcodes for buying handbags are 3207 (Garden City and Port Melbourne, VIC), 4509 (Mango Hill and North Lakes, QLD), 3145 (Caulfield East, Central Park, Darling and Darling South, VIC), 3000 (Melbourne Metro) and 2000 (Sydney Metro).
Reflecting these leading states, the top five postcodes for sneaker buys are 2170 (Liverpool and Casula, NSW), 3030 (Warribee, Point Cook and Quandong, VIC), 2036 (Matraville, Malabar and Little Bay, NSW), 3000 (Melbourne Metro) and 3977 (Cranbourne, VIC).
Aside from location, Onikul said luxury purchases were also driven by age demographics.
“We’ve seen pre-loved items from big brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada trending on eBay, driven by younger generations that want to live more sustainably.
“Classics also stand the test of time, which means people are often willing to pay more.
“We’ve seen the value of classic bags such as the Hermes Birkin, Dior Saddlebags and Chanel quilted bags increase significantly over the last few years with a rare Hermes Birkin selling for $USD98,000 (approximately $AUD136,000).”
According to Onikul, the rising sales among popular labels is attributed to the introduction of eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee that gives buyers confidence in their online purchases.
“Last year, eBay introduced more options for Certified and Seller Refurbished products to give shoppers more confidence in getting the exact product they want, in the right condition, at the right price, with a warranty as good as - or even better - than what’s offered on brand new products.
“Smart watches have increased in popularity over recent years and refurbished is a great option for those who want the latest wearable tech for less.
“We expect refurbished items will be a growing trend as people continue to tighten their belts."
Onikul called eBay a “cultural barometer”, where the company often sees demand for items reflecting current pop culture.
“We’ve seen a huge 2000s resurgence in recent years and now the 80s are back, with numbers of windcheater jackets sold up 232% and leg warmers up 50% earlier this year thanks to the popularity of Netflix hit Stranger Things.
“We know Australians are more value-conscious than ever right now and are looking for ways to save money as well as make some cash on the side.
“We expect this trend will continue throughout the year with sales events like Black Friday likely to be huge as people shop for discounts ahead of Christmas.”