Internet selling makes inroads on car boot sales
Oct 7 2009 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post
The information super-highway is making deep inroads into traditional car boot sales – with the online version proving increasingly popular with punters.
Visits to traditional sales have fallen by 65 per cent in the last three years, as more Brits have taken to using the internet to sell clutter and find bargains, according to the UK’s leading free second-hand site.
The world’s first car boot sale was held in Kent in 1980. For years, the events have been a popular way of selling off clutter, whilst also giving Brits the chance to find a bargain.
However, for the past three years, attendances at car boot sales have been in steady decline, with the advent of second-hand websites enabling people to buy and sell from the comfort of their home.
A study by free classified site www.Preloved.co.uk of 3,108 members of the public has found that more and more Brits are turning away from the open-air car boot to selling online.
Meanwhile, 17 per cent of the respondents said they attended a car boot sales three years ago, whereas just six per cent said they’d been to one in the last year.
When asked “Would you prefer to sell online or at a car boot sale?” 92 per cent of the public said they’d prefer to sell online.
Founder of Preloved Ian Buzer believes there are a number of reasons car boot attendances are down.
“The increase in popularity of second-hand websites such as eBay and Preloved show yet another way the internet has revolutionised the way we live our lives.
“Not only does the web offer a better alternative to standing out in the cold all day by giving you the opportunity to leave your listing and come back to responses later, sites such as ours allow you to list your items for free, instead of paying a pitching fee.
“This has probably marked the beginning of the end of the car boot which is unfortunate given that for 25 years or so, car boot sales have defined the fun, bartering nature of Britons.
“Preloved is hoping to inject some of the fun back into the process of buying and selling online by bringing together buyers and sellers in a local area.
“In doing so we aim to provide a safer, friendlier experience than sites like eBay and we have received a number of emails from members saying they found not only a bargain but also a new friend.”
