According to recent data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), 2024 saw a record-breaking $890 billion worth of merchandise returned to retailers. As the leading B2B recommerce platform, B-Stock also saw a record-setting number of buyers, bidders, and listings on its platform pointing to the strength of the secondary market. This blog offers a sneak peek at key recommerce data, trends, and insights from our latest State of B2B Recommerce report.
B-Stock Quick Facts
**The following data was compiled based on the buying and selling trends across the B-Stock platform in 2024
- 140 million units sold (up 30% YOY)
- Over 3.8 million total bids placed (up 10% YOY)
- 65% of all items sold are customer returns versus overstock
Fastest Growing Resale Categories
Apparel, Accessories & Footwear maintained its stronghold as the top category in units sold for 2024. This trend reveals the sustained growth and popularity of the apparel resale market which is growing 15x faster than the primary market.
Additional categories showing substantial YoY growth include:
- Toys, Kids & Baby
- Consumer Electronics
- Furniture
The year-over-year growth in units sold for Toys, Kids, & Baby and Consumer Electronics solidifies the fact that these sectors thrive in the secondhand market, as budget-conscious consumers, including parents, embrace gently used and/or refurbished items at attractive price points.
B-Stock saw furniture listings and sales increase significantly, primarily due to the bankruptcy filings of major off-price and discount retailers. As primary retailers lost their main liquidation channels, a significant volume of furniture stock came through B-Stock’s platform, creating opportunities for buyers in the secondary market.
Top Categories by Recovery Rate
Consumer Electronics took the top spot in terms of pricing (recovery rate) in 2024 moving ahead of Computer Equipment & Software. This shift reflects strong end-user demand for used electronics as the quality of used and refurbished inventory improves and consumers look to save money.
The following categories rounded out the top five for highest recovery:
- Computer Equipment & Software
- Groceries
- Appliances
- Toys, Kids & Baby
Lot Types
Lot sizes of each type sold on the B-Stock platform all experienced notable growth last year. Pallets, less-than-truckload, and truckload lots all experienced an upward trend, with pallet sales achieving a 27% YoY increase.
The most sought-after categories for truckload purchases were Furniture, Home & Garden, and Appliances.
2025 Outlook
The secondary market is thriving, consistently outpacing the primary market. Driven by consumers’ increasing focus on affordability, sustainability, and environmental responsibility—amid economic uncertainty and rising inflation—the recommerce sector’s upward trajectory is expected to continue. In fact, projections indicate a 55% growth in the recommerce market by 2029, reaching $291.6 billion and surpassing the overall retail market growth by 21%. As consumers continue to drive demand for recommerce, this surge is prompting retailers and brands to adopt new strategies and leverage technology to transform their traditional resale practices.
For a complete look into these trends and insights, explore the full report The State of B2B Recommerce 2025.
