

As a sector, secondhand clothing is on track to reach $77 billion by 2025. According to a 2021 report from thredUP, another online resale service, some 33 million people bought secondhand clothing for the first time last year.

The social interaction is higher, and the barrier is lower."Īll of these factors add up to one massive trend. "Having that online now is a more intense experience than brick and mortar. "Thrifting had its own adventure to it, when you go in the store and look through a rack," Lewis says. Put simply: They're accessible, easy to use and just plain fun. There's an economic motive - most teens can't afford fancy clothes and could use extra cash - as well as the fact that the apps are designed like social media services. They appreciate the environmental friendliness of recycled clothing, and they're not scared to type in their card number on an iPhone like an older, less internet-savvy customer might be. Tasha Lewis, associate professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell University, says younger buyers and sellers in particular dominate the apps. But clothing resale apps are built for casual users, too - people who want to score a few bucks for their old T-shirts with nothing more than a few taps on their phone and a trip to the post office. "I have a pretty insane closet, and I use the apps for decluttering because I know I'll make money off what I'm getting rid of," she says.īurson takes her side hustle seriously, brainstorming strategies, compiling seller stats and breaking down her business every month on the blog Clotheshorse. By June, the Seattle resident had earned nearly $1,500. So she got to work listing items she no longer wanted. Late last year Burson, a former Poshmark power user who flipped yard sale items during college, found herself with spare time on her hands during the pandemic and a backlog of stuff to resell.

Just ask celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo or everyday sellers like Haley Burson.

Clothing resale apps like Mercari, Poshmark and Depop are hotter than ever.
