Thrifting Statistics

Highlights. 16 to 18% of Americans shop at thrift stores each year; 12 to 15% shop at consignment or resale stores.

• 93% of Americans shop online for secondhand items.
• In 2023, the U.S. secondhand market generated an estimated $53 billion in revenue.
• There are over 25,000 resale, consignment, and not-for-profit resale shops in the U.S.
• Thrift store shoppers save an average of $1,760 per year by purchasing secondhand.
• Approximately one-third of clothing and apparel items purchased in the U.S. over the past year were secondhand.

U.S. Secondhand Market Statistics

1.4 billion secondhand apparel items were purchased in the U.S. in 2022, up 40% from 2021.

• As of 2022, the U.S. secondhand market is worth $39 billion.
• Traditional thrift and donation accounts for $22 billion or 56.4% of the total secondhand market.
• Resale accounts for the remaining $17 billion or 43.6% of the secondhand market.
• Secondhand accounts for 9% of the total U.S. apparel market.
• The U.S. secondhand market is estimated to reach an estimated $44 billion in 2023.
• In 2022, clothing resale grew five (5) times as fast as the general retail sector; resale is expected to grow nine (9) times faster by 2027.
• By 2027, the U.S. secondhand market is projected to be worth $70 billion.
• Since 2017, the U.S. secondhand market has grown by 95%.
• Resale has grown by 467% since 2017; traditional thrift and donation has grown by 29%.
• By 2032, the secondhand market is expected to reach $90 billion, with $57 billion or 63% attributed to resale.
• Secondhand has grown to account for 200% more of the total U.S. apparel market than in 2012.

Global Secondhand Market Statistics

The global secondhand apparel market is worth $177 billion, up 28% from 2021.

• In 2023, the global secondhand market is estimated to be worth $211 billion.
• The global secondhand market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027.
• Secondhand apparel is expected to account for 10% of the global apparel market by 2024.
• The U.S. is the leading exporter of pre-owned clothing, with approximately $904 million in used apparel exported to other countries in 2021.
• 31% of consumers in France purchased secondhand clothing in 2022, up 72.2% from 2018.
• 29% of consumers in the United Kingdom bought secondhand clothing, up 26.1% from 2018.
• 22% of German and 16% of Spanish consumers bought secondhand clothing in 2022.

Thrift Store Statistics

National Thrift Store Day is on August 17 annually.

• Globally, used merchandise stores generate $2.04 billion in monthly sales.
• Every year, 16 to 18% of consumers in the U.S. shop at thrift stores.
• As of 2021, 18,640 used merchandise stores in the U.S. employ 189,890 people.
• 46% of thrift stores in the U.S. have less than five employees; 68% have fewer than ten employees.
• 33.7% of thrift stores in the U.S. are non-profit organizations.
• California has the highest number of used merchandise stores in the country, with 1,753  or 9.4% of establishments.
• 50% of thrift stores in North Dakota are non-profit organizations, the highest proportion of any state.
• 13.2% of thrift stores in Rhode Island are non-profit, the least of any state.
• Based on data available on Yelp, the best city for thrift shopping is Los Angeles, CA.

Thrifting Environmental Impact Statistics

Thrifting clothing reduces carbon emissions by an average of 25% compared to buying new.

• Purchasing a secondhand clothing item over a new one saves 8.41 pounds of carbon emissions, 16.48 kWh of energy, and 88.89 gallons of water.
• 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills yearly in the U.S., accounting for 7.7% of all landfill waste.
• Of the 17.0 million tons of textile waste generated each year, only 14.7% is recycled.
• The volume of discarded textiles in the U.S. grew by 28.8% from 2010 to 2018.
• The traditional fashion industry accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• 85% of shoppers view thrifting as good for the environment; 62% believe thrifting is a more sustainable solution to fast fashion.
• Only 0.1% of all clothing items collected by take-back programs and charities are recycled.

Thrifting Consumer Statistics

52% of U.S. shoppers purchased secondhand apparel in 2022.

• 75% of consumers have purchased or are open to purchasing secondhand apparel.
• 60% of the projected secondhand market growth through 2027 is expected to result from new thrift shoppers.
• 37% of consumers spent more of their clothing budget on secondhand items in 2022.
• 42% of shoppers say that secondhand has become more accessible than in the past
• 55.7% of secondhand apparel shoppers in the U.S. are women.
• Saving money is the most common driver for thrift shoppers with 85% of secondhand consumers choosing to purchase used goods for this reason.
• 42% of secondhand shoppers are driven by sustainability; 40% want to find high-end brands for discounted prices.
• 42% of thrift shoppers have visited a city specifically for thrift store opportunities.

Generational Thrifting Statistics

Younger generations are expected to account for nearly two-thirds of secondhand market growth in the next five years.

• 83% of Gen Z consumers have either purchased or are interested in secondhand apparel, 10.7% more than the average for all age groups.
• 34% of Gen Z consumers always shop at thrift stores.
• 2 out of 5 items in the average Gen Z’s closet are secondhand.
• 30% of Gen Z consumers who shop secondhand do so to afford higher-end brands.
• 82% of Gen Z consumers have considered the resale value of an apparel item before purchasing.
• 64% of Gen Z search for an item secondhand before buying it new.
• 42% of global consumers aged 18 to 37 are willing to purchase secondhand apparel as of 2021.
• 32% of consumers 38 to 55 years of age are willing to buy secondhand clothing; 16% of consumers 56 to 65 are willing.
• 29.7% of secondhand apparel shoppers in the U.S. are 25 to 34 years of age.
• 23.8% of thrift apparel shoppers are 35 to 44; 18.1% are 18 to 24.
• Older consumers are less likely to purchase secondhand apparel, with 16.6% of consumers 45 to 54 and 11.8% of consumers 55 to 64 purchasing.

Online Thrifting Statistics

Online resale is growing twice as fast as the U.S. secondhand market overall and is expected to reach $38 billion by 2027.

• The U.S. online resale market is expected to grow an average of 21% per year for the next five years.
• Online secondhand shoppers spend an average of $340 per year on resale apparel items.
• By 2025, it is estimated that online secondhand apparel shoppers will spend an average of $788 per year.
• 38% of online shoppers have purchased from an online resale marketplace in 2022.
• 62% of consumers have never purchased from an online resale marketplace.
• Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers have made a purchase on eBay, the most popular website for secondhand goods.
• 55% of consumers have purchased from Facebook Marketplace; 24% have purchased from OfferUp.
• 58% of Gen Z consumers who purchased secondhand in the past year made at least one purchase online.

Gift Thrifting Statistics

Among all consumers, 49% would consider thrift shopping for gifts.

• 62% of consumers believe purchasing secondhand apparel to give as a gift is more socially acceptable than five years ago.
• 66% of consumers are open to receiving a secondhand gift.
• Saving money is the top reason shoppers consider gifting secondhand items at 56%.
• 54% of thrift gift shoppers choose secondhand to be more sustainable; 34% want to give a unique gift.
• 72% of Gen Z consumers are open to receiving a secondhand gift.

Resale & Consignment Statistics

From 2021 to 2023, the number of U.S. resale stores grew by 7% per year.

• Over one-third of retailers would reduce production of new products if resale proved successful.
• There are currently 124 brands with resale programs, up 244% from 2021.
• 58% of consumers consider the resale value of an article of clothing before buying it.
• 23% of consumers are less likely to purchase an apparel item if it does not have a good resale value; 42% of Gen Z shoppers are less likely to buy.
• Nearly two-thirds of retailers who offer resale say secondhand is integral to the company’s long-term growth strategy.
• 82% of retailers that offer resale expect to generate a positive ROI from their investment in secondhand.
• The majority of consignment shops pay merchandise owners 40 to 60% of the selling price of the item sold.
• Most consignment shops have a policy for displaying goods for a specified length of time, ranging from 30 to 90 days.

Types of Thrift Shopping

According to NARTS, The Association of Resale Professionals, there are three types of thrift retailers.

• Resale describes any business that sells gently used consumer goods, but specifically, a retailer that purchases their merchandise outright from individual owners.
• Not For Profit describes a secondhand retailer that is also a designated 501(c)3 organization that raises money for charitable causes, often referred to as thrift stores.
• Consignment describes a retailer that accepts merchandise on a consignment basis, paying the owner a percentage when and if the items are sold.

1. ThredUp, Resale Report 2023
2. NARTS: The Association of Resale Professionals, Media
3. United States Census Bureau, Data
4. Environmental Protection Agency,Textiles: Material-Specific Data
5. Statista, Markets
6. Coupon Follow, The Shift to Thrift: Top Cities to Thrift in 2022
7. Yahoo, Thrift Shopping: 93% of Americans Are Now Shopping For Secondhand Items Online