CCTV's "Financial Investigation" program found that some livestreams marketing "big-brand surplus stock" and "single-piece sample garments" are actually selling large quantities of secondhand clothing from old clothes recycling bins at low prices, with daily sales reaching dozens of tons. These garments are put on shelves without being washed or disinfected, and some inferior items are even refurbished, tagged, and passed off as new.

Key Points

  • Reporters purchased 3 pieces of "sample surplus stock" for 6 yuan with free shipping from livestreams such as "Xixi Women's Fashion Matching," and all purchased garments showed yellow stains, oil stains, loose threads, and other signs of wear. Sellers used phrases like "slightly dirty" and "minor flaws" to conceal their secondhand nature.
  • The head of an old clothes recycling company in Changchun said a single company can sell dozens of tons of recycled clothing to livestreams per day; old clothes recycling bins in Changchun, Tieling, Jiamusi, Jinan, and other places have become important sources for sorting plants.
  • Refurbishment vendors at a surplus wholesale market in South China treat old clothes with chemical agents and attach brand-new tags, supplying them as new goods to the Shangqiu icon livestream base in Henan, which has more than 20 livestream rooms.

Trackers Lock Onto Destination: Old Clothes from Recycling Bins Flow into Sorting Plants

Recently, the "Financial Investigation" program received complaints from multiple consumers that some livestreams claiming to sell "new sample garments icon" and "big-brand surplus stock" were actually selling large quantities of secondhand old clothes at low prices. Reporters spent 6 yuan to buy three pieces of "sample surplus stock" with free shipping from the "Xixi Women's Fashion Matching" livestream. After receiving the goods, they found: the collar and underarms of a white top had yellow stains and foundation marks, the hem of a black short skirt had oil stains, and the hem and underarms of a white top had loose threads—all were old clothes that had been worn. The seller used "slightly dirty" and "minor flaws" as a uniform explanation and never mentioned their secondhand nature.

To trace the supply chain, reporters placed GPS trackers in clothing and shoes and put them into two old clothes recycling bins in different areas of Tieling City, Liaoning Province. Several days later, the trackers showed the items were transported to a corn storage warehouse more than 60 kilometers away. Upon entering the warehouse, reporters found discarded clothing piled in the yard, wrapped only in rags, with a stale, decaying smell in the air. The warehouse manager admitted that this was actually an old clothes sorting plant specializing in recycling secondhand clothing from various places, and had just received two truckloads of "bin goods" from Tieling recycling bins. Similar tracking investigations were carried out in old clothes sorting warehouses in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, and Jinan, Shandong, where operators all said that old clothes recycling bins in urban residential communities were one of their important sources of goods. Some front-end operators even label recycling bins with "public welfare donation" and "charity fundraising" to increase collection volume.

The Secondhand Business in Livestreams: No Washing, No Disinfection, Nearly 70 Items Sold in Half an Hour

A person familiar with the matter said Changchun, Jilin, is one of the largest distribution centers for old clothes sorting and recycling in Northeast China. Reporters visited Daling Old Clothes Recycling Factory, where the person in charge confirmed that most old clothes are sold to e-commerce livestreams, and business has recently been booming with supply falling short of demand. The head of Changchun Kunteng Old Clothes Recycling Company revealed that her company alone can sell dozens of tons of recycled clothing per day, with enormous demand from livestreams. The company boss also connected reporters with a local livestream specializing in old clothes. Reporters observed that the livestream sold nearly 70 old clothes in just half an hour after going live, and a randomly pulled top had obvious mold spots on the cuffs. After the livestream ended, the person in charge, Mr. Liu, said nearly half a ton of clothing was sold in that session, with revenue exceeding 10,000 yuan, almost selling out the stock, and only failing to meet expectations due to insufficient supply.

Mr. Liu explained that all clothing sold that day was purchased by the ton from old clothes recycling factories, and stressed that it was absolutely forbidden to mention that the clothing was secondhand—livestreams rely on beauty filters and lighting effects, so viewers cannot tell the actual condition of the garments, and the host can easily close sales with a little promotion. When reporters questioned that some clothes had become moldy, Mr. Liu said this was normal, and that almost all old clothes purchased from sorting plants are not washed or disinfected, but hung directly on racks for sale after being brought back, to control costs to the greatest extent.

Livestreams with similar models are common on major e-commerce platforms, all selling under the names of "single idle item" and "big-brand surplus stock," using phrases like "high cost-performance," "slightly dirty," and "minor flaws" to attract consumers. One livestream owner admitted that these old clothes come from a variety of sources, including sorting plants and garbage stations, and even secondhand children's clothing is sold this way.

The Refurbishment Industry Chain: Chemical Agents Remove Marks, One Tag Turns Them into "New Goods"

The best-condition old clothes are selected for refurbishment and sold as new after tags are attached. Reporters went to a surplus wholesale market in South China for investigation. The so-called "surplus stock" originally refers to brand-new clothing produced by garment factories in addition to orders to ensure qualified supply, which factories sell at low prices after order delivery. Many vendors in the market posted signs saying "No secondhand clothing sold," but the wholesale early market at dawn the next day was packed with buyers, and many livestreamers were selling goods live on site.

Led by livestreamer Adong, reporters found Wanbang Huijie Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd. The shop owner said refurbished denim clothing was selling so well that a newly refurbished batch had just been completed yesterday and had not yet been put on display. The boss said the refurbished secondhand goods were in good condition, and a newly arrived batch of windbreakers could be sold as "surplus stock" without washing. In another warehouse storing refurbished cashmere coats, a pungent odor could be smelled upon entering, and the boss said it was residue from the chemical agents used in refurbishment. He revealed that the refurbishment process is highly skilled, and non-experts can hardly tell the traces. Goods from all over the country are sent here for refurbishment, and finished products sell well. Almost all buyers sell refurbished old clothes as new, claiming they are factory "surplus stock" or "sample garments," and both livestreams and physical stores come here to stock up.

Adong then recommended Tianhe Clothing, which specializes in refurbished sweaters. The company has no street-facing storefront and is located on the third floor of an industrial park. Refurbished sweaters are packed 100 pieces per bundle and 1,000 pieces per bag, and when randomly opened, almost no refurbishment traces can be seen. Each piece comes with a brand-new tag and neat packaging. After reporters purchased a batch of refurbished clothing, the boss gave extra tags and admitted such tags can be bought anywhere. The boss of Tianhe Clothing said the Shangqiu livestream base in Henan is its largest customer. Reporters followed the lead to the Shangqiu Linghang Livestream Base and found that an entire floor was a large secondhand clothing warehouse, with racks full of various secondhand garments and corners piled with sacks full of clothes. The person in charge of the livestream claimed to be a top player in the industry, with more than 20 livestream rooms, each averaging tens of thousands of yuan in daily revenue, and admitted that if consumers were told the clothes were secondhand, they definitely would not sell, and only by selling them as new after refurbishment could maximum profit be obtained.

Significance for the Industry

This investigation exposes a gray chain in which goods from old clothes recycling bins flow through sorting plants to livestreams. There is a lack of effective traceability and information disclosure between the "public welfare donation" labeling at the collection end and commercial sales at the back end. The sorting and disinfection standards for old clothes, as well as disclosure of product attributes in livestream sales, are becoming issues that the standardization of the old clothes trade must confront.

Source: The "big-brand surplus stock" you buy may have been worn by someone else! Reporter investigation exposes → · Originally published on 2025-12-22