I always find data related to what people are doing online fascinating, and also a very good reflection of what’s going on in the world and where there will be growth or decline in demand for products or services.
Because of that, I regularly read the internet analysis from Hitwise.
In a blog post today, they highlighted the increase in searches for second hand items, up 22% over the past 12 months.
Here are the top 10 searches:
- second hand cars
- second hand books
- second hand car prices
- second hand furniture
- second hand bikes
- second hand car values
- second hand laptops
- second hand wedding dresses
- second hand air rifles
- second hand car sales
All pretty much to be expected – but what’s that at #9? Second hand air rifles? Why would this be such a popular item to search for? Anyone got any ideas?
On the Hitwise blog I jokingly suggested it could be because more people were thinking about robbing banks, or perhaps that would be “second hand sawn-offs”. It was also suggested (I think jokingly, but maybe not) that it could be because more people are going out and shooting their own food. Nice money saving idea, good to see people using their initiative.
In the same post, it’s also mentioned that visits to Freecycle, the “swap shop” for the unwanted stuff in your homes, are up by 35% from September 2007 to September 2008.
Like the second hand data it’s not particularly surprising news, but it’s just another indication of how we’re all changing our habits as money gets tight.