Brits Carry upto £1.2b Worth of 'Ex-cess Baggage', eBay Reveals

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Feb 13, 2019, 19:01 ET

And it's generation X who find it hardest to let go

LONDON, Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

With the most romantic time of year just around the corner, new research from eBay.co.uk has revealed that one in six (16%) of Brits are carrying up to £150 of 'stuff' from past relationships into love nests with someone new – that equates to a staggering £1.2billion^[1] worth of 'ex-cess baggage'.

42%^[2] of Brits admitted they not only cling to old memories, but also to physical objects from past loves when they move in with a new partner
And this 'ex-cess baggage' causes arguments for one in six of us when we set up home with someone new
Far from being the cosy nesting period most new cohabitants expect, over half (52.9%) of those surveyed by the online marketplace admitted to spending the moving in period arguing
And one in ten (11.6%) said they'd had more than five rows about how to combine their past lives

Yet it's the supposedly innocent items that can cause the biggest bust ups. Home décor such as cushions and candles (12%) was most likely to cause trouble and strife followed by big ticket tech items (11%).

While Glasgow is the 'excess baggage' capital of the UK – with nearly three quarters (67.5%) of inhabitants saying they moved with more than the memories - it's lovelorn Generation X who find it hardest to let go of old mementos – possibly inspired by the romantic films of their era such as When Harry Met Sally and Reality Bites.

eBay Director of Consumer-to-Consumer Selling, Nikin Patel says, "When a couple move in together, it appears that stuff from past relationships is not only taking up floor, but also head space for their new partner. Moving house is an expensive and stressful time. With more than 179 million active buyers on eBay, getting rid of your 'ex-cess baggage' before you move in could be the way to avoid unwanted tiffs and give you the cash to make new memories."

About eBay

eBay was the first online marketplace. Today, it's a household name. A regular feature in lists of best loved brands, it connects millions of buyers and sellers, helping customers to find the item they're looking for from its 1.2 billion listings. With 179 million buyers in 190 markets, trade is fast. The UK website sells a car part every two seconds, and last year the online marketplace saw must-have items like LEGO Harry Potter flying off the virtual shelves every ten seconds.

This incredible interest directly benefits the small businesses who trade on eBay, giving them access to an audience once unthinkable for a small shop on the high street. Throughout its history, eBay has helped many thousands of small businesses to succeed. Small British firms regularly rank in the top five grossing sellers on eBay.co.uk's biggest trading days like Black Friday, and over one thousand British sellers who started with a shop on eBay are now running million-pound businesses, providing jobs to people in their communities.

By partnering with sellers in this way, eBay.co.uk has helped hundreds of thousands of British entrepreneurs over its 23-year history. As a hub of retail in the UK, the marketplace also continues to welcome top brands to the site – including Adidas, Currys, Halfords, Canon, BooHoo and more.

eBay also makes it easy for customers to give to charitable organisations. Using eBay for Charity, sellers can donate a portion of their sales and buyers can shop while supporting their favourite causes – adding to the funds that eBay.co.uk has raised for UK charities to date.

Did you know?

eBay has 179 million active buyers around the world.

In the UK, eBay serves 25m Brits a month.

Social media

@ebay_UK

https://www.facebook.com/eBay.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/eBayUK_news

References:

[1] Taken from ONS data based on UK adults aged 20+

[2] Survey carried out with 1,082 respondents with a partner by Opinion Matters, 01.02.19 – 05.02.19

SOURCE eBay