05 December 2023 , 19:46
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Hard-up families are turning to selling their personal belongings to pay for Christmas as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, new research has found.
Nearly half of people (45%) selling items on online marketplaces said they were doing it to help pay the cost of Christmas, according to the poll by the Post Office.
Of those, 43% said they were selling personal belongings they already owned, and almost half (49%) said they had sold them reluctantly. 55% said they felt sad afterwards.
Nearly half of people said they are selling their possessions to help pay for this year's Christmas (Getty Images)The survey of UK 2000 adults also found that 49% of those using online marketplaces said the money helped pay for increased living expenses such as fuel bills during winter, while almost one in three (29%) thought they would not be able get through the month if they didn’t sell items online.
The new study comes as the Post Office, for the first time in its 360-year history, enables customers to be able to choose other parcel carriers over the counter in Post Office branches, as it announces DPD and Evri as new in-branch carriers.
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The move has been praised by online marketplace eBay as providing value to Post Office customers by essentially making branches one-stop-shops for dropping off goods to sell.
The poll also found that more people than ever after turning to online marketplaces as a ‘side hustle’ often alongside their regular job.
Families are struggling to raise the money they need to cover the cost of Christmas (Getty)More than a quarter (28 percent) say they have sold more items in the previous 12 months than they had done before – many doing so for the first time.
Most of those who have taken up selling items on sites like eBay, Facebook and VInted are from the public sector (64%), with 62% saying they work in education and 88% in the emergency services (police, fire and ambulance).
Timi Merriman-Johnson, founder of financial education platform Mr MoneyJar, said: “As prices continue to soar, embracing reseller platforms to earn extra cash or to become full-time resellers, can help you save for something special or cover additional Christmas expenses.
“My first piece of advice is to get started, experiment with selling different items and choose the right delivery partner via Post Office’s new in-branch or Parcels Online service that allows you to compare and purchase postage online before dropping it off-in store.”
“In each Post Office branch there are knowledgeable postmasters who are on hand to provide tailored advice to ensure posting is as convenient as possible - so do make use of their expertise."
Neill O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Parcels and Mails at Post Office said: “Our new ‘buy-in-branch’ service in partnership with DPD and Evri is a huge moment for Post Office and our customers.
“We feel the move will be significant in streamlining the UK’s booming online marketplace selling sector. It will essentially make Post Office branches one-stop-shops for online sellers – as postmasters can advise customers over the counter on the most suitable posting options for them. This builds on the success of ‘parcels online’ that launched earlier this year, which allows people to purchase their post online and provides even more choice for customers.
“Whether you’re sending an item for the first time, dropping off a parcel that is being returned or collecting a parcel, our postmasters can help with that.”
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