The forecast: The global market for secondhand apparel sales is expected to grow twice as fast as the overall apparel market over the next five years, according to ThredUp’s latest resale report.

• US secondhand sales will grow at an average annual rate of 7.3% over that period, reaching $78.8 billion in 2030.
• By comparison, our forecast expects US apparel, footwear, and accessories sales growth to slow gradually, from 3.6% in 2026 to 3.1% in 2030.

What’s driving the shift:

Cost concerns. Resale’s appeal is increasing as shoppers grapple with higher prices.

• Roughly 1 in 4 secondhand shoppers specifically cited tariffs as a reason for buying used items more often, according to an October Morning Consult report.
• A similar proportion—27%—expect to buy secondhand to offset price increases, per ThredUp’s report.

Younger shoppers. Gen Z and millennials are both avid buyers and sellers of secondhand apparel. The two cohorts are expected to account for 40% and 31%, respectively, of market growth through 2030. At the same time, over half (52%) attempt to resell more than half their closets, making them a valuable audience for secondhand platforms looking to deepen engagement and gain access to a steady supply of inventory.

Social commerce. Platforms like Facebook and TikTok are steadily scooping up more secondhand sales. Nearly 2 in 5 Gen Zers and millennials have made a secondhand purchase via social channels, per ThredUp. These platforms are also playing a larger role in discovery, creating both an opportunity and a challenge for resale players as the buying journey grows more fragmented.

Changing apparel spending habits. Consumers are increasingly making full-price purchases with resale value in mind, resulting in a steady flow of secondhand inventory and strengthening these platforms’ flywheel.

Growing pains: While interest in resale is booming, so is the number of complaints from buyers and sellers transacting on online platforms like ThredUp, Depop, and Poshmark. Common grievances include bad customer service, low payouts, high fees, and concerns about product authenticity, per The Business of Fashion.