Used Golf Equipment Market Grown by MZ Goliners

Used Goods Platform Bungaejangter Q1 Golf-Related Transaction Amount Up 185%
Golf Club Transactions Among Under 25s Increase 760% Year-on-Year

The market for buying and selling used golf equipment is experiencing significant growth. Since the spread of COVID-19, this market has shown continuous growth as its popularity increased, and transactions surged again around the start of the official golf season this year. It is analyzed that demand is flocking to the used transaction market as the number of golf beginners, mainly among the MZ (Millennial + Generation Z) generation, increases and they seek to acquire high-priced equipment and apparel at reasonable prices.

According to the secondhand trading platform Bungaejangter on the 18th, the transaction amount in the golf category in the first quarter of this year was 22.3 billion KRW, an increase of 185% compared to the same period last year. The number of transactions also rose by 132%, approaching 120,000 cases. Considering that the transaction amount for golf equipment on Bungaejangter over the past year until the first quarter was 60.7 billion KRW and the number of transactions was 360,000, transactions equivalent to one-third of the past year occurred in just three months this year. The transaction amount and number of transactions over the past year also increased by 171% and 123%, respectively, compared to the previous same period. Searches for golf-related products on Bungaejangter also increased by 98%. This indicates that the growth trend of the used golf market, which was already on the rise, has accelerated further this year.

What stands out is that the MZ generation is at the center of this growth. Looking at the MZ generation’s golf category transaction amount and number of transactions in the first quarter, they recorded explosive growth rates of approximately 187% and 112%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. For golf clubs, which are usually the first equipment purchased when starting golf, the transaction amount last year increased by 464% compared to the previous year, with users aged 25 and under showing the largest increase of 760%. The number of golf club transactions for those aged 25 and under also rose by 443%, significantly surpassing the overall increase rate of 332% across all age groups. A Bungaejangter official explained, "As the golf craze spreads mainly among the MZ generation, the used golf market, where various products can be purchased at reasonable prices, is growing."

On the other hand, in the used golf apparel market, it was found that the older the age group, the more transactions occurred. Users aged 45 and over accounted for 65% of the total transaction amount for golf apparel last year. The number of transactions also increased by 191% compared to the previous year, recording the highest growth rate. Looking at golf apparel transactions by gender, women accounted for 67% of the total, higher than men, but men also showed a steeper increase rate with transaction amounts and numbers rising by 231% and 221%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

As transactions increased, Bungaejangter’s actions also accelerated. A representative example is the golf club transaction service using packaged courier delivery. Bungaejangter’s packaged courier service takes full responsibility for the entire process from item pickup to packaging and delivery. This service previously did not accept items with the longest side exceeding 100 cm, but as golf-related transactions increased, Bungaejangter explained that it now allows golf clubs to be shipped regardless of length. Bungaejangter’s strategy is to continuously establish secondhand trading as a means to find hobbies like golf. Choi Jae-hwa, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bungaejangter, said, "Since we have internalized hobby and taste trading as Bungaejangter’s DNA, we will introduce differentiated services to enable various taste-based transactions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.