Frequently Donated Items in Zaibaykal: A Look at Games, Greenery, and Second-hand Goods
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In the first half of 2025, the popular classified ads platform Avito witnessed a significant surge in free item sharing activities, with a notable increase of 21% in the "Hobbies and Leisure" category alone. This trend was observed across Russia, including the Zabaykalsky Krai region, where the number of free ads increased by almost 15%.
Avito, the leading classified ads website in Russia, has maintained its strong market position despite regulatory changes in the platform economy law passed in late July 2025. The law imposed transparency and partner identification requirements but did not introduce major operational hindrances for platforms like Avito. In early 2025, Rosselkhozbank, a state-owned agricultural bank, acquired a 50% stake in Avito, marking increased government involvement. However, this has not curtailed Avito's dominant position in the market.
The growth in free item sharing on Avito can be attributed to several factors. The enhanced delivery infrastructure in Russia, where courier demand increased by 46% from 2020 to 2024, has likely played a significant role. This improved logistics reliability and reach may have encouraged local transfers, including free item sharing, on Avito.
In the Zabaykalsky Krai, the "give away for free" ads for various items such as art books, guitars, fishing gear, and hobby items increased significantly. The number of such ads reached over 164,000, a 14.8% increase from the previous year. Household items, beauty and health products, car parts, repair materials, furniture, children's items, and even video games also saw an increase in the "give away for free" ads on Avito.
The total market value of these transactions was over 718.4 million rubles, representing a 1.6% increase from the same period in 2024. Moreover, the "Personal Items" category on Avito saw a significant increase in activity (+24%), and the number of "give away for free" ads in the "Personal Items" and "Hobbies and Leisure" categories combined increased by over 20%.
Interestingly, certain items were given away more frequently on Avito. Art books were given away 145% more often, guitars 152%, fishing gear 118%, and video games three times more frequently in the first half of 2025 compared to previous years.
Most Russians prefer to give items to close ones (51%), with charity coming in second (35%). Among young people under 24, the share of online charity is higher at 25%. However, recycling items is not widely practised, with only 8% of Russians recycling items, and the figure being as low as 5% in the Far East.
Despite the growing trend of free item sharing, over 185,000 successful transactions were completed in Russia from January to June 2025. This indicates that while many items are given away for free, there is still a significant demand for second-hand items among Avito users.
In conclusion, the surge in free item sharing on Avito, particularly in the Zabaykalsky Krai, can be attributed to Avito's dominant market position, improved delivery services, and the growing trend of giving items a "second life." Despite regulatory changes and increased government involvement, Avito has managed to maintain its strong position in the Russian classified ads market.
- The escalating trend of free item sharing on Avito extends to various lifestyle categories, such as fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and shopping, as more people are offering items like clothing, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, furniture, and household items for free.
- In the first half of 2025, individuals have shown a greater inclination to pass on their hobbies and interests, with an increase in the number of free item listings for items like art books, guitars, fishing gear, and video games, indicating a shift toward a sharing economy within the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and shopping sectors.
- The rise in free item sharing activities on Avito not only involves traditionally used items but also encompasses unique and specialty products such as rare art books, vintage guitars, high-end fishing gear, and collectible video games, suggesting that the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and shopping categories are becoming more accessible and affordable for a broader audience.
