Stressed Out by Stuff, Americans Resolve to Tackle Clutter in 2020

***Gen Zers 3X More Likely than Boomers to Sell Unwanted Gifts for Cash***

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Jan 06, 2020, 10:06 ET

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercari, The Selling App, today released the findings of a nationwide survey to gauge Americans' year-end attitudes about household clutter and their New Year's resolutions for 2020. The takeaway: most Americans are stressed out by clutter -- but how we choose to address it varies by our generation.

Stressed Out by Stuff in 2019

Mercari's research shows that household clutter is becoming an issue for more Americans.

Americans say they're awash in things they're no longer using:

Over six in ten Americans (63%) say they "have too much stuff" -- about the same percentage who say they have at least one closet, drawer, or room in their home "filled with stuff I no longer want or need" (59%).
More than one-third of Americans (37%) say they've experienced "extreme anxiety" due to a messy or disorganized home, closet or garage. More than one in five (21%) said they've actually lost sleep for this reason.

Taming the Beast in 2020

Many Americans say they've resolved to tackle clutter in 2020 -- but how we go about it varies based on our age and gender:

More than one-third (38%) of Americans said that simplifying their life and "accumulating less stuff" is one of their New Year's resolutions for 2020.
Three in 10 (30%) Gen Z Americans plan to sell their unwanted gifts, more than triple the percentage of Baby Boomers (9%) who say they plan to do so.
Gen Xers are a little more likely to "regift" their holiday gift rejects -- 32% plan to give unwanted holiday presents as gifts, vs. 28% of Americans overall.
Women are slightly more likely than men to regift: 30% said they'd regift unwanted presents, vs. 25% of men.
Men are more likely than women to just hold onto unwanted gifts: 26%, vs. 19% of women.

"We see the surging popularity of resale in the U.S. being driven by younger consumers' attitudes about clutter and sustainability," said John Lagerling, Mercari U.S. CEO. "Their mindset as consumers contrasts with their parents' views, and their relationship with their possessions is changing."

Survey Methodology

Mercari commissioned YouGov PLC to conduct omnibus survey of 1,174 American adults. Fieldwork was undertaken December 18-19, 2019. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

About Mercari

Mercari is The Selling App. We make it super easy to sell (or buy) almost anything. We all have things we don't use, never used or simply outgrew. But that stuff still has value. Mercari gives you the power to simply sell it, ship it, and earn some cash for it. Fashion to toys. Sporting goods to electronics. All the brands you know and love.

Our mission is simple: to make selling easier than buying. And with more than 45 million downloads in the U.S. and 150,000 new listings every day, we're just getting started.

SOURCE Mercari