Recommerce shopping and payment trends | an eBay interview

Avritti Khandurie Mittal, Vice President of Product at eBay, shares how consumer behaviour in online shopping has contributed to the growth of recommerce. 

Recommerce is now mainstream. What are the main factors that have contributed to this consumer behaviour change, as seen by eBay?

For nearly three decades, eBay has been pioneering recommerce on a global scale, long before it became a mainstream retail narrative. Today, what we’re seeing isn’t a sudden trend but the natural evolution of a model built on circularity, discovery, and value. Thanks to our scale (approximately 2.4 billion live listings at any given time), we have a unique vantage point into how consumer expectations are shifting.  

Recommerce has moved from a niche to a foundational one, as it delivers multidimensional value. Consumers have moved from evaluating purchases solely on price to considering economic savings, sustainability impact, and the emotional reward of finding something unique. Through recommerce, consumers combine the excitement of discovery with the satisfaction of giving items a new life, while aligning with their growing sustainability, self-expression, and community focus. 

Our research shows that 81% of global consumers feel good about the money they save when buying pre-owned items. Financial benefit, however, is only part of the story. Nearly half rank environmental considerations among their top motivations, and 65% say they enjoy the ‘thrill of the hunt’, a combination – practicality plus discovery – that is powerful! 

Importantly, this shift is global and enduring. Across major markets, consumers consistently report plans to maintain or increase spending on second-hand goods, signalling a structural change in how value is defined in retail. 

At eBay, we believe recommerce is becoming a core layer of commerce itself (no longer just an alternative channel within ecommerce), reshaping how products are bought, sold, and re-circulated worldwide. 

Which consumer groups are more prone to shop pre-loved goods, and how does behaviour differ across geographies and social categories?

Gen Z and Millennials are accelerating recommerce, but what’s most striking is how quickly the mindset is spreading across generations. 

Nearly 80% of Gen Z and Millennials say resale is part of their lifestyle; thus, recommerce is cultural and not simply transactional. For over half of consumers, buying pre-loved allows them to express their personal style, and 63% feel connected to a broader recommerce community. This sense of identity and participation is redefining the meaning of ownership. 

One of the clearest indicators of recommerce normalisation is gifting. Gen Z is nearly twice as likely as those over 55 to feel excited about giving pre-loved items, indicating a meaningful cultural shift: resale stopped being a secondary option and is now socially accepted and, increasingly, preferred. 

We’re also seeing distinct behavioural market nuances. In Australia, recommerce is strongly community-driven, with connection being central. In Canada, shoppers lean into discovery: nearly half say they are consistently on the hunt for pre-loved items. In France, personal expression is a dominant driver, whereas markets such as the UK and Spain are showing accelerated intent to increase second-hand spending. 

The unifier of these differences is intentionality. Consumers are spending more time searching, comparing, and waiting for the right item. Recommerce encourages a discovery-led journey rather than an impulse transaction, and that has implications for how marketplaces design everything, from search to payments to post-purchase experiences. 

What began as a generational shift is now becoming a broader reset in consumer norms toward individuality, sustainability, and more deliberate consumption. 

What strategies have proven most effective in boosting conversion and repeat business?

In recommerce, conversion doesn’t hinge on discounting but on trust. As inventory is often unique, condition-based, or high-consideration, buyers are evaluating more than price, assessing authenticity, reliability, and ease of resolution should something go wrong. Reducing perceived risk is the single most effective lever for driving both first-time conversion and long-term loyalty. 

Our research shows that Millennials and Gen X prioritise trust and quality assurance when purchasing pre-loved goods; Gen Z is especially focused on ease, with simple returns cited as a top factor influencing participation. That tells us that post-purchase friction, or lack thereof, can be just as important as the transaction itself. 

At eBay, we’ve focused on building structured trust directly into the marketplace experience. This includes transparent seller ratings, strong buyer protections, clear condition standards, authentication in high-value categories, and easy returns. Equally important is creating a seamless checkout and payments experience. When buyers can transact securely and use familiar and flexible payment options, hesitation decreases and repeat engagement increases. 

There’s a straightforward formula: reduce uncertainty, remove friction, and reinforce reliability at every step. In recommerce, trust drives conversion, and consistency drives repeat behaviour. 

How is eBay building trust in recommerce in terms of payments and security?

At eBay’s scale, trust is part of the infrastructure, not just a feature. With approximately 2.4 billion constant live listings, the size requires continuous investment in risk management, payments security, fraud detection, and buyer and seller protections. 

Recommerce transactions are inherently nuanced. Items are often unique, condition-based, or high-value, and buyers may spend days or even weeks researching before purchase. Payments must reinforce confidence at the moment of decision with secure processing, strong authentication, and clear recourse if expectations aren’t met. 

We’ve built an integrated payments experience designed to reduce friction while maintaining rigorous safeguards. Expanding trusted and flexible payment options, ranging from Pay by Bank to Buy Now, Pay Later to popular digital wallets, gives buyers familiarity and control at checkout. Flexibility increases participation, particularly in higher-consideration categories. 

Security extends beyond checkout. Advanced risk models, continuous monitoring, seller performance standards, and robust buyer protection programmes help ensure that transactions are reliable across borders and categories. 

On the seller side, access to flexible funding solutions through our eBay Seller Capital programme supports inventory growth and operational stability, strengthening the overall marketplace ecosystem.  

Ultimately, recommerce only scales when trust does. The future of circular commerce will be powered by platforms that combine flexibility, security, and intelligent risk management on a global scale. At eBay, we consider trust as the growth engine that unlocks the next era of commerce, not only a safeguard. 

Considering the current economic landscape, do you foresee any changes in terms of both shopping and payment preferences? How do you expect them to impact the industry?

Economic pressure tends to accelerate shifts that are already underway, and recommerce clearly exemplifies this. 

Across age groups, 42% of consumers plan to increase their spending on pre-loved goods in 2026, with Gen Z and Millennials leading this growth. While value-consciousness is a factor, this movement extends beyond inflationary cycles. Even in more stable conditions, consumers continue to embrace recommerce because it delivers affordability, individuality, and sustainability in a single transaction. 

Intentionality is clearly evolving. Consumers are taking longer to research, compare, and wait for the right item – a longer consideration cycle, which changes expectations around payments. Buyers increasingly expect flexibility, be it through digital wallets, instalments, or hassle-free cross-border checkout, without sacrificing security. 

As shopping becomes more deliberate, payments must enable this behaviour. Flexibility reduces friction, security reduces hesitation; together, they unlock participation. 

For the industry, the implication is clear: the future of commerce will be circular, digitally integrated, and trust-driven. Recommerce isn’t a side category within ecommerce anymore, but it’s reshaping the fundamentals of how products move through the economy. Consequently, the platforms that build the infrastructure for this movement will define the next chapter of global retail. 

About the author

Avritti Khandurie Mittal is Vice President of Product at eBay, leading global platform strategy across eBay’s core revenue-driving businesses, including payments and financial services, advertising, shipping and logistics, B2C, and monetisation. A fintech and marketplace leader with over 20 years of experience, she specialises in building scalable, trusted ecosystems that drive sustainable growth through technology, data, and product-led innovation.

About eBay

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2025, eBay enabled nearly $80 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.