Oxfam France published a report on the second-hand clothing industry on September 10, 2026, concluding that "not all second-hand models are equal." Citing Refashion data, the report notes that in 2025 second-hand clothing accounted for 7.2% of total textile and apparel consumption in France, up 4.8% year-on-year; however, the carbon footprint of the reuse and recycling stage varies enormously depending on the model—solidarity-based shops (Emmaüs, the Red Cross, Oxfam) emit 0.6 kg of CO2 per 5 kg of reused goods, commercial second-hand stores 2.9 kg, and online platforms as much as 3.1 kg, the latter nearly five times the former.

Key points

  • Oxfam France report of September 10, 2026: in 2025 second-hand accounted for 7.2% of French textile and apparel consumption, up 4.8% year-on-year (Refashion data)
  • RDC Environnement modeling: carbon emissions for 5 kg of reused goods are 0.6 kg CO2 for solidarity-based shops, 2.9 kg for commercial second-hand stores, and 3.1 kg for online platforms, a gap of up to fivefold
  • Emmaüs saw a "first-ever" decline in revenue at several French stores in 2025, and in June removed nearly 4,000 of its 16,000 Relais collection bins; Oxfam calls for a 30% cut in new textiles placed on the market by 2035

Market size and consumer motivations

A survey published in June 2025 by Ademe (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) and Obsoco (the Observatory of Society and Consumption) shows that 42% of French people bought at least one second-hand garment in the past 12 months. Among the consumers surveyed by Ademe and Obsoco, 94% cited "saving money" and "financial pressure" as the main reasons for turning to second-hand. Insee data show that the share of French household spending on clothing has fallen from 12.5% in 1965 to 2.8% in 2025. The national average price of second-hand items is €8.50, but with clear disparities: €3.40 in solidarity-based thrift shops, €9.40 on Vinted, and €16.70 in brand second-hand sections (Refashion data).

Broken down by share of 2025 sales volume, the landscape of the three types of players is: social and solidarity organizations (Emmaüs, the Red Cross, Oxfam) 41%, peer-to-peer digital platforms (Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, etc.) 42%, and commercial thrift stores (sold by the kilo, consignment, big-brand second-hand sections) 18% (Refashion estimates).

The environmental ledger: digital platforms and commercial stores emit more carbon

RDC Environnement, a consultancy that has worked for Ademe, carried out life-cycle modeling for Oxfam. Oxfam explains that solidarity-based shops, which do not do centralized sorting, have localized supply chains, whereas digital platforms add logistics flows such as individual item shipping, parcel transport, packaging, and returns, with longer transport distances; commercial thrift stores, meanwhile, import most of their used clothing from abroad. Pierre Galio of Ademe points out that the garment manufacturing stage consumes the most raw materials and emits the most greenhouse gases, and that giving an item a second life can in principle avoid or delay new production. But the report's authors warn that very different realities lie behind the consensual term "second-hand."

Exports and the "rebound effect"

A September 2025 report by France's General Inspectorate of Environment and Sustainable Development states that, because it cannot sort all collected textiles, France exports large volumes outside the EU, "mainly to Africa." Oxfam criticizes fast-fashion brands' second-hand consignment as "first and foremost a way to retain customers and stimulate new purchases": discount vouchers given in exchange for donations push users to buy new items again, perpetuating a cycle of overconsumption. Ademe's research documents a "rebound effect": 11% of second-hand buyers spend the money they save on new clothes. Refashion data show that new clothing sales in France reached 3.6 billion items in 2025, up 1.5% year-on-year, rather than declining.

The clash of two economic logics

The Oxfam report points out that commercial thrift stores, being profit-oriented, skim off only the "cream" of textiles—the best-quality, most profitable goods—thereby diverting supply flows that historically went to reuse channels. Louana Lamer, head of economic development and solidarity reuse at Emmaüs, says clothing sales account for 30% of Emmaüs's revenue, funding its collection and sorting operations as well as its housing, food, and medical placement and redistribution activities. Because of insufficient storage capacity and resources, the association decided in June 2025 to remove nearly 4,000 of the 16,000 Relais collection bins it operates across France. Oxfam France calls on the government to "strengthen long-term funding for solidarity reuse" and to "reduce the number of textile garments placed on the market by 30%" between 2025 and 2035. The report offers another example: 55% of shoes sold on digital platforms are listed after being worn fewer than five times on average.

Source: La marché de la seconde main : une bonne affaire, mais à quel prix ? · Originally published 2026-10-02