Three Lancashire towns are among the top places in the UK for fans of second-hand fashion according to a new study.
The research has identified the Vinted, Depop and eBay capitals of the UK, with three places in the county ranked among the top five.
The study was conducted by online service website QR Code Generator, looking at the volume of internet searches for pre-loved clothing across the country.
It says the research comes as the wedding season is getting into full swing; a time when many people will be looking for new clothing to wear for the occasions, or could be looking to get rid of outfits they have worn and no longer need.
It warns people to be aware of both buyer and seller scams which are becoming a growing issue on second-hand platforms.
The research found Blackburn was the fifth-ranked town in the UK for loving second-hand shopping, with 304.1 monthly searches per 100,000 total searches on Google each month on average.
The research looked at 18 popular search teams, including ‘second-hand fashion’ and retail platforms such as Vinted.
The place which loves shopping pre-loved the most was Blackpool, with 330.7 searches per 100,000 total searches on average each month on Google, while Preston was ranked third with an average of 310 searches per 100,000.
The national average for searches was 235.7 per 100,000.
Marc Porcar, chief executive of QR Code Generator, gave advice for online shoppers and sellers on how to spot and avoid scams.
He said: “Second-hand shopping is a great idea for putting together wedding-friendly outfits in a budget-friendly way.
“While the continuing rise in popularity of sites like Depop and Vinted indicates consumers are thinking more carefully about their environmental impact, it also suggests that saving money is a priority – and unfortunately, some scammers will look to take advantage of online shoppers seeking a bargain.”
He advises sellers film and photograph themselves packaging and posting their items, and buyers film the ‘unboxing’ of a purchase to avoid being scammed.
He also advises keeping personal details private and never making a transaction outside the platform being used, and to also check a buyer or seller’s profile reviews to ensure they are legitimate and trustworthy.