The data: Resale is expected to play a significant role in holiday shopping this year, according to a new ThredUp report.

• Roughly two-thirds of consumers plan to buy at least one secondhand item during the 2026 holiday season, led by millennials (78%) and Gen Z (70%).
• Those who plan to shop secondhand expect to allocate an average of 37% of their holiday gift budgets to resale.

Consumers are turning to resale not only to shop but also to make some extra cash for the holidays. Fifty-three percent of US adults say they have sold or plan to sell clothing, accessories, or other items to help pay for seasonal expenses. Again, that proportion is significantly higher among millennials and Gen Z than older generations, showing that younger consumers are more likely to view their closets as an opportunity to boost their spending power.

Behind the numbers: With inflation and slowing wage growth constraining buying power, secondhand platforms are becoming more popular destinations for shoppers looking to stretch their dollars. ThredUp reported record new and active buyers, orders, and sessions in Q3 2026, while Depop’s new owner, eBay, said US GMV, monthly active users, and items sold more than doubled YoY on a pro forma basis during the most recent quarter.

Affordability is central to resale’s appeal.

• Four in 5 US shoppers say that buying secondhand allows them to get what they want without having to pay the full retail price, according to OfferUp’s 2026 Recommerce Report.
• Among those planning to shop secondhand this holiday season, 58% said they were doing so because it costs less than new, 53% cited the ability to make their budgets go further, and 41% said shopping secondhand allowed them to afford better-quality items, per ThredUp’s Holiday Resale Report.

Implications for retail: Shoppers’ growing proclivity for resale could eventually pose a problem for full-price retailers, especially as platforms like Vinted, Depop, and ThredUp make it easier for consumers to buy and sell secondhand.

The luxury market offers something of a cautionary tale: Roughly half of shoppers now check the secondhand market before they buy anything new, per Bain, which is contributing to a global slowdown in full-price luxury sales.

Still, the pendulum could swing quickly should financial pressures on consumers ease. The fact that cost, rather than sustainability concerns, is the primary driver of secondhand shopping adoption suggests that many consumers consider resale to be a temporary solution, not a permanent replacement for buying full price.

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