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Pawn Shops in Australia - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Kayla Wheeler Kayla Wheeler Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: February 2024 ANZSIC OD5124

Revenue

$592.2m

2024-25

$607.9m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

2,190

Businesses

255

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Pawn Shops in Australia industry analysis

The Pawn Shops industry has contracted over the past five years, due to the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed consumer sentiment, and falling unemployment. Many firms have faced challenges due to a negative public image of the high interest rates many pawn shops charge on loans, the often-low prices offered to customers for goods and a perception that pawnbrokers take financial advantage of those in need. Some pawn shops, including major player Cash Converters, have aimed to provide a more legitimate and professional image to counter some of these negative perceptions and attempt to maintain their customer base. This strategy has placed the company at the forefront of the industry.

Trends and Insights

  • The Pawn Shop industry has faced significant contraction in recent years because of factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and a negative public image. To counter this, businesses like Cash Converters are working to improve their reputation and professionalism.
  • Loans for personal collateral fuel pawn shop growth amid economic woes. Stagnant income growth for low-income households, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has heightened demand for loans secured against personal belongings, enhancing pawn shop profitability.
  • New South Wales holds the lion's share of pawn shops. The state's high population, including substantial low-income households in cities, supports a thriving pawn shop industry.
  • Online marketplaces challenge traditional pawn shops. Sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace provide platforms where individuals can sell their items directly, setting their own rates and negotiating with prospective buyers.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 3.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $592.2m in 2024.

Trends and Insights

The ease and speed of loans have kept pawn shops useful

  • Pawn shops have remained a convenient, speedy option for cash-strapped consumers, providing instant cash for secure loans, unlike online selling platforms, where waiting for an offer is required.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Pawn Shops in Australia
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Improving general economic conditions will challenge pawn shops

  • Pawn shops are set to perform better over the coming years, thanks to an increase in the national unemployment rate, which will raise the demand for short-term loans.

Biggest companies in the Pawn Shops in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Cash Converters International
300.8
Cash Stop Gold Pty Ltd
26.4
Captain Cash Pty Ltd
9.2

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Pawn Shops in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Secured loans for personal collateral, Cash advances and unsecured loans and Selling purchased used goods. Secured loans for personal collateral is the largest segment of the Pawn Shops in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Secured personal collateral loans boom amid economic struggles

  • This segment includes interest payments on loans secured against personal assets like jewellery, watches, electronics and musical instruments.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Pawn shops offer secured loans to individuals, who then provide items of personal property as collateral. These firms also retail used goods that are often acquired from unpaid loans or are purchased directly from consumers. The industry excludes companies that only provide unsecured loans or only sell second-hand goods.

What's included in this industry?

Secured loans for personal collateralCash advances and unsecured loansSelling purchased used goodsSelling unredeemed pawnsSelling goods on consignment Jewellery valuation and repair servicesInternet access and photocopying

Companies

Cash Converters InternationalCash Stop Gold Pty LtdCaptain Cash Pty Ltd

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

PAWNBROKINGPAYDAY LOANSECURED LOANUNSECURED LOANUNREDEEMED PAWN

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 4273 - Pawn Shops in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The Pawn Shop industry has faced significant contraction in recent years because of factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and a negative public image. To counter this, businesse...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Loans for personal collateral fuel pawn shop growth amid economic woes. Stagnant income growth for low-income households, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has heightened de...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

New South Wales holds the lion's share of pawn shops. The state's high population, including substantial low-income households in cities, supports a thriving pawn shop indust...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Online marketplaces challenge traditional pawn shops. Sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace provide platforms where individuals can sell their items directly, setting thei...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Australia's pawnbroking sector, apart from Cash Converters, comprises mainly small-scale businesses operating from single locations. Though some companies manage multiple est...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Cash Converters International's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Cash Stop Gold Pty Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Captain Cash Pty Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Cash Converters International, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Cash Stop Gold Pty Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Captain Cash Pty Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Pawn shops benefit from economic instability. This is due to the fact that people tend to use such services more heavily during times of financial uncertainty, such as rising...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Diversifying revenue streams have boosted pawn shops' profit margins. Their primary income comes from high-interest loans secured by customers' assets, with additional gains ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Pawn Shops industry in Australia in 2024?

The market size of the Pawn Shops industry in Australia is $592.2m in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Pawn Shops in Australia industry in 2024?

There are 255 businesses in the Pawn Shops industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.1 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Pawn Shops industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Pawn Shops industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 3.8 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Pawn Shops industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Pawn Shops industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Pawn Shops market in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Pawn Shops market in Australia are Cash Converters International, Cash Stop Gold Pty Ltd and Captain Cash Pty Ltd

What does the Pawn Shops in Australia include?

Secured loans for personal collateral and Cash advances and unsecured loans are part of the Pawn Shops industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Pawn Shops in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in Australia is Cash Converters International.

How competitive is the Pawn Shops industry in Australia?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Pawn Shops industry in Australia.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Watch and Jewellery Retailing in Australia
  • Credit Unions and Building Societies in Australia
  • National and Regional Commercial Banks in Australia

Complementors

  • Video Game, DVD and Recorded Music Retailing in Australia
  • Sport and Camping Equipment Retailing in Australia
  • Antique and Used Goods Retailing in Australia

International industries

  • Pawn Shops in the US
  • Used Goods Stores in Canada
  • Second-Hand Goods Stores in the UK
  • Einzelhandel mit Antiquitäten und Gebrauchtwaren

View all industries in Australia

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.