The news: Resale platform Depop launched its biggest US marketing campaign to date as it looks to expand its audience beyond its core Gen Z user base and capitalize on surging demand for secondhand goods.

• The “Where Taste Recognizes Taste” campaign highlights the emotional connections of buying and selling secondhand.
• The ads will be placed across out-of-home, streaming radio, CTV, and social channels.

Rising tide lifts all boats: With secondhand apparel retail sales expected to reach $256 billion this year, the time is right for Depop—and its fellow resale platforms—to make a concerted push for users. With apparel prices rising as tariffs kick in, more consumers are shopping secondhand to save money. Environmental concerns and strong interest in vintage fashion, particularly among Gen Z, are also contributing to resale’s boom.

• US resale app downloads climbed 20% YoY between April and July, while monthly active users grew 10%, per Sensor Tower data shared with Modern Retail.
• Depop’s US sales jumped 54% YoY in Q2, making it the fastest-growing online resale platform (according to parent company Etsy).
• Competitor ThredUp set a record in Q2 for new customers, with that figure skyrocketing 74% YoY.

Shoppers are equally eager to unearth secondhand finds in person.

• Visits to thrift stores have accelerated each quarter this year, per Placer.ai. Overall traffic was up 5.7% YoY in Q1, 7.9% YoY in Q2, and 10.1% YoY from July 1 to August 22.
• Weekly foot traffic at Evergreen Goodwill, which manages 23 thrift stores in Washington state, was up 6% YoY in the first six months of 2025, twice its typical annual growth rate. Weekly visits to its Seattle location are up 9% YoY, with lines forming before opening.

Across the pond: Interest in resale is not limited to the US. Online secondhand sales in the UK are expected to grow 12% YoY to £4.8 billion ($6.1 billion) this year, per a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research commissioned by Amazon.

• Both Depop and rival platform Vinted are now important players on the UK retail scene, propelled by Gen Z and millennials.
• Retailers are doing their best to tap into that spending. Marks & Spencer will open a storefront on eBay for secondhand clothing, while Amazon’s first-ever Second Chance Deal Days sale will run from September 3–9 in the UK and EU.

Our take: Growing global demand for resale presents challenges and opportunities—both for marketplaces that trade in secondhand goods, like Depop and eBay, as well as for traditional retailers.

• Brands and retailers should consider partnerships similar to Marks & Spencer’s deal with eBay to boost their visibility on resale marketplaces.
• With most secondhand sales still taking place in brick-and-mortar stores, platforms will have to invest in marketing and awareness campaigns to ensure a steady flow of buyers and sellers.