Love Island and eBay renew deal after surge in 'pre-loved' clothes

Love Island returns to screens this month and the winter version of the popular ITV reality show already has its first recoupment: eBay will sponsor the series for the second time.

It follows a successful pairing last summer when eBay took over fast fashion retailer I Saw It First. The partnership has directly influenced consumer buying habits. Research published by ITV shows that 53% of viewers who were aware of the partnership bought second-hand or "pre-loved" clothes in the last three months. Since announcing the partnership last May, the site has seen 1,600% more searches for "pre-loved clothes" compared to the previous year, while Google searches for the same phrase have increased by 170% . Its viewership figures make these numbers significant - 5 million people watched the final in 2022.

In the summer, Love Island contestants wore their own clothes as well as second-hand clothes bought on eBay, and chosen by the famous designer Amy Bannerman. This season, the idea has been extended to other initiatives recently launched by the site. In addition to general pre-owned items chosen by Bannerman, attendees will also have access to pieces from the eBay Imperfects range – new clothing sold at up to 60% off due to defects, from streetwear brands such as Off- White and North Face. They can also choose second-hand sneakers authenticated by the site's "authenticity guarantee" launched last July.

Streetwear and resold sneakers – also on sites like StockX and Grailed – are central to the style of 16-34 year olds who typically watch Love Island, while the shift to vintage is in line with their wider shopping habits. Research conducted late last year by the Boston Consulting Group and resale site Vestiarie showed that Gen Z consumers were the most likely to buy (31%) and sell (44%) second-hand items, closely followed by millennials. Reduced environmental impact and cheaper prices were cited as reasons behind the trend.

"The partnership has already showed her impact with [Love] Islanders and our pre-loved ambassador, Tasha Ghouri, showing off her true style and flair with pre-loved looks,” said Kirsty Keoghan, Global Managing Director of Fashion at eBay. very excited to continue this conversation and show the nation how beautiful pre-loveds really can be."

Ghouri, arguably the hottest candidate in the latest series, has since become eBay's first fashion ambassador.She has published artic them on vintage items to her 1.5 million Instagram followers, wore vintage to events and launched a "pre-loved sparkle" store on eBay in the run up to Christmas.

However, not everyone associated with Love Island has given up on fashion brands. After last year's show, winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğl signed a deal with Oh Polly – rated “we avoid” by sustainability review site Good on You and worth 1 million pound sterling. Fellow countrywoman Gemma Owen has since signed with PrettyLittleThing, on a six-figure contract.