‘Thrifting’ Outpaces ‘Brand New’ in 2025 Report

Used Clothing Sales Expected to Grow 9% a Year through 2029

Thrifting has gone mainstream. Unaihuiziphotography/iStock

In recent years, thrifting—buying secondhand clothing, furniture, and goods—has shifted from fringe to mainstream behavior in the US and worldwide. A recent report from Capital One Shopping, Thrifting Statistics (2025): Industry Size, Revenue & Growth Rate, tracks the size of the thrifting market, who is participating in it, and where the sector is headed.

• The US secondhand market, currently worth about $56 billion as of 2025, is up 14.3% from 2024.

• Since 2018, the U.S. secondhand market has grown by about 143.5%, with resale alone growing a massive 650% over that period.

• Traditional thrift and donation operations represent roughly $26 billion (46.4%) of this market; resale (commercial consignment or secondhand) accounts for the remaining $30 billion (53.6%).

• Apparel is a big part of this shift: Secondhand apparel sales are projected to keep growing about 9% annually through 2029.

• About 16–18% of Americans shop at thrift stores each year; 12–15% shop at resale or consignment stores.

• In 2024, 58% of US shoppers purchased secondhand apparel. Additionally, about 75% have either purchased or say they’re open to purchasing secondhand.

• Younger generations are leading the charge. For example, 83% of Gen Z consumers have either bought or are interested in secondhand apparel; 34% always shop thrift stores first; many look at the resale value before buying.

• Online resale is becoming especially important: In 2024, US fashion resale platforms generated $16.8 billion in sales, up 18.5% from 2023.

• Purchasing secondhand instead of new saves on average 8.41 pounds of carbon emissions, 16.48 kWh of energy, and 88.89 gallons of water per item. Even so, only around 14.7% of textile waste is recycled, while a large share ends up in landfills.

Source:

• Capital One Shopping