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Consumers are massively turning to online platforms to resell their goods. However, this market has a direct impact on the Emmaüs association, which lacks clothing, furniture and trinkets.
The sorting chains are at the heart of the Emmaus companions’ business model. Only, now, barely 40% of the 300,200 tons of objects collected each year from individuals are recoverable. “It’s been a good six months since we’ve noticed that the better it is, the poorer the quality of the clothes”, regrets Elisabeth, an employee of the association. Emmaüs, Secours Populaire and Catholique are faced with merciless competition from online resale platforms.
A counterattack
The second-hand trade allows Emmaüs to support 70,000 people in precarious situations. However, its revenue, which is around 300 million euros per year, attracts covetousness. “The private sector […] wants to control this recovery market. Obviously, not for social purposes, but for clearly lucrative purposes”, indicates a professional of the association. So Emmaus counter-attacks with fake ads posted on Vinted or Le Bon Coin. These ads are actually calls for donations.
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