Cambodian Shoppers Embrace Secondhand Clothes
Secondhand clothes have been popular among Cambodians due to their affordable price, availability and variety of choices for people who love fashion.
- By Nhor Sokhoeurn
- February 1, 2024 12:05 PM
PHNOM PENH – Secondhand clothes have been popular among Cambodians due to their affordable price, availability and variety of choices for people who love fashion.
Kit Bopha, a university student and an employee in the private sector, said she likes wearing secondhand clothes because of their low price. She said she spends less money and gets more clothes and there are many choices for her to make.
“I like using secondhand clothes because their design or fashion looks different from local clothes,” Bopha said. “But before buying anything, I want to make sure I love it. If not, I won’t buy it, although it is cheap.”
Bopha said that she buys secondhand clothes from local markets, particularly from Boeung Keng Kang (BKK) market in Phnom Penh.
“I try to spend between 5,000 riel, 8,000 riel ($1.25-$2) per item, and sometimes go up to 10,000 riel ($2.5) per shirt or jeans depending on the clothes,” she said.
In addition to the low price, secondhand clothes help reduce waste and raise awareness about the possibility of recycling many objects in people’s day-to-day lives.
Secondhand clothes are also very popular on online marketplaces, like Facebook, TikTok or Instagram.
Boeung Keng Kang market is known among shoppers for its affordable handed-down fabric.
Changing fashion in the blink of an eye
Pech Sayoan, another regular secondhand clothes buyer, said she loves to have the possibility to choose between different types of fashions and feels cool when wearing already-used clothes
She said she has been wearing second-hand clothes for nearly 10 years.
“I can buy clothes for summer and winter with the best prices,” Sayoan said, whose favorite secondhand market is also Phnom Penh’s BKK market.
“But I also like another place, close to the Independence monument, where shirts are sold for $1. That is twice as cheap as what I find in BKK market,” she said.
Ya, another fashion enthusiast says she loves the possibility of changing her style easily and at a low price. But secondhand clothes sometimes with a disadvantage.
“Some clothes are uncomfortable and sometimes a bit itchy,” she said.
Thrifty business
Boeung Keng Kang market is known among shoppers for its affordable handed-down fabric.
Raty, a 30-year-old seller, said a lot of adults come to buy second-hand clothes every day.
“I sell from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. like other sellers. I serve between 100 to 200 customers per day,” he said.
“Nowadays people are struggling with the economy, so people are reducing their expenses and using more and more secondhand clothes. It is a good way to save money,” he said, adding that he chose to focus only on adult clothes.
A report from the Ministry of Commerce showed that the country imported over 62,000 metric tons of worn clothes in 2023, worth $50.2 million.
South Korea was the main exporter to Cambodia, with 17,483 tons, worth $14.1 million. It was followed by China (14,704 tons, $11.8 million) and Japan (13,638 tons, $11 million).
Over the same period, Cambodia exported nearly 3,000 tons of worn clothes, accounting for $3.2million.
Jordan was the main customer, importing 923.8 tons, worth $1.13 million. Malaysia came second with 542.2 tons of worn clothes imported from Cambodia, worth $616,060. It was followed by Hong Kong, which imported imported 354.3 tons for $214,793.
