Is fast fashion dying?
Thats according to a new report from ThredUp, one of the worlds largest online resellers. The report, which cites statistical information from third-party analytics firm GlobalData, paints the picture of a burgeoning thrift-sale market that could overtake the likes of H&M and Zara in the next decade, as economical shopping and sustainability trends persist. According to the report, 40% of thrifters say theyre replacing fast-fashion purchases with secondhand clothing, and resale is expected to be more than twice as large as fast fashion by 2030. Not surprisingly, the trend is being driven by millennials and Gen Z consumers, who have shown greater demand for sustainable products as mega retail chains are increasingly criticized for their environmental impact and material waste. A purchase of one item thats used, versus new, is estimated to displace 17.4 pounds of carbon emissions normally released during clothing production, reducing its carbon footprint by 82%. According to ThredUp, the typical thrifter bought seven items secondhand in 2020, displacing 9.4 billion lbs of CO2. But the secondhand market got a major kick-start last year for a different reason, as the coronavirus pandemic gutted many consumers spending budgets. Per the report, 33 million shoppers bought secondhand clothing for the first time in 2020, and 223 million said they were open to buying secondhand in the future. Another 36 million sold items from their closet for the first time last year. Overall, 60% said they were more opposed to money wasting than they were pre-pandemic. Thrifting is forecast to stick around post-pandemic, lifting the vintage market to $77 billion in the next five years.