‘Nigerians now more conscious of discounts in purchases’
Nigerian consumer market is maturing into one where consumers actively dictate their spending limits, and impulse buying has been completely replaced by frugal commerce. Recent market data show that Nigerians
Nigerian consumer market is maturing into one where consumers actively dictate their spending limits, and impulse buying has been completely replaced by frugal commerce.
Recent market data show that Nigerians are abandoning brand-new items in favor of high quality used items. According to Q1 2026 platform data from Africa’s online marketplace Jiji, searches for used items surged by a whopping 97 per cent Year-On-Year (YOY).
This translated to a record 40.2 million visits in the first quarter alone, indicating a fundamental shift in consumer psychology where buying used items has become a marker of financial intelligence.
Jiji is Africa’s leading online marketplace, connecting millions of buyers and sellers across the continent. With various categories, including electronics, fashion, vehicles, property, and other services, Jiji offers a safe and convenient platform for users to find everything they need.
Jiji’s Q1 ‘26 metrics show an 81 per cent quarterly spike in searches using the discount filter for phones, alongside an 11 per cent increase in the usage of strict price-cap filters (exceeding 345,000 unique sessions in Q1 alone).
Once seen as a hallmark of success, Nigerians’ culture of acquiring brand new goods, popularly known as ‘tear rubber’, is undergoing major shift backed by data and influenced by macroeconomic adjustments.
This, according to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jiji, Maxim Makarchuk, is a structural evolution in African retail landscape.
His words: “We’re witnessing a fundamental change in Nigerian consumer psychology. The stigma once attached to second-hand items has completely evaporated. Today, securing a high value pre-loved item is recognized as a flex of financial intelligence.”
Makarchuk, however, stated: “At Jiji, we’re providing the transparent and secure infrastructure that allows Nigerians to bypass inflated retail markups, maintain their standard of living, and keep the domestic economy moving.”
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The Jiji COO noted that as Nigeria navigates its path toward economic recovery, the ‘tear-rubber’ era is making way for a time of sustainable and smart commerce.
“With Nigerians now embracing the pre-loved or used items market, they’re taking back control of their wallets. They’re proving that while purchasing power may be squeezed, the demand for quality remains as resilient as ever,” he said.
This behavioral shift directly correlates with the country’s economic climate, as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports inflation hovering around 15 per cent in March 2026 (post-rebased CPI methodology).
The thing is that with consumer purchasing power facing sustained pressure over the past two years, the traditional retail sector has become prohibitively expensive for the middle class.
Statista, a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization, and localized economic reports show a steep contraction in real consumer spending, causing a strategic redirection of household budgets.
Checks by The Nation confirm that smart Nigerian shoppers are trading up in the secondary market rather than downgrading their lifestyles. Buying used items is no longer viewed as a compromise, but has become the definitive marker of a financially disciplined and practical consumer.
A Lagos-based software developer, Emeka O, confirmed this shift, saying: “Buying a brand new smartphone right now just doesn’t make economic sense to me. I can get a used UK version of the latest model on Jiji for a fraction of the retail price.
“I really don’t care about showing off the unboxing anymore. My goal is to spend wisely and save up to upgrade my tech gear.”
This sentiment is echoing across categories, from Phones and Tablets to Cars and Electronics. As the average price of vehicles soared over the last 24 months, small businesses and families have turned to the circular economy for survival and scale.
“For my logistics business, investing in a new delivery van was completely out of the question with the current dealership prices.
“I found a direct seller on Jiji who had a Nigerian used bus in great condition. The decision I made to buy from him is what has kept my business running this year,” Aisha M., an entrepreneur in Abuja, said
