Apparel Resale Market (2026-2036)

The growth of this market is mainly driven by rising apparel prices and cost-of-living pressures that push consumers toward lower-cost secondhand clothing, growing consumer interest in sustainable and circular fashion, the rapid growth of online resale platforms and peer-to-peer marketplaces, such as Vinted, eBay, Depop, ThredUp, Poshmark, and Mercari, the launch of brand-owned resale and take-back programs, and new regulations in Europe that restrict the destruction of unsold clothing and require producers to manage textile waste. However, factors such as the high cost of processing, grading, and photographing single-item inventory, inconsistent quality and sizing, the low value of many secondhand items, competition from ultra-low-cost fast fashion, and concerns about counterfeits are expected to restrain the growth of this market to some extent.

Apparel resale refers to the sale of pre-owned clothing, footwear, bags, and accessories to new owners. It includes secondhand items sold through thrift and charity stores, resale and consignment stores, online resale platforms and peer-to-peer marketplaces, and resale programs run by apparel brands and retailers. The market spans all price levels, from low-cost secondhand basics to premium brands and luxury fashion, and it serves consumers who are looking for lower prices, unique or vintage items, and more sustainable ways to buy clothing.

This market covers the global sales value of secondhand clothing, footwear, bags, and accessories sold through resale channels, measured in value. It includes sales through thrift and charity stores, online resale platforms and marketplaces, resale and consignment stores, and brand-owned resale programs, across mass market, premium, and luxury price segments. It is segmented by product type, sales channel, price segment, end user, and geography. Secondhand watches, fine jewelry, and other luxury hard goods, rental clothing, and exports of used clothing sold in bulk by weight are not included.

The market has grown rapidly over the past decade, as resale has moved from a niche activity to a mainstream way of buying clothing, particularly among younger consumers. Online resale platforms have made it easy for consumers to sell items from their wardrobes and to search for specific brands, sizes, and styles, while social media has made secondhand and vintage fashion more fashionable. According to ThredUp's 2026 Resale Report, about 59% of consumers globally shopped for secondhand apparel in 2025, and Gen Z and millennial shoppers are among the most active buyers and sellers.

Business models in the market vary widely, as peer-to-peer marketplaces, such as Vinted, eBay, Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari, allow consumers to list and sell items directly to other consumers and earn revenue from buyer fees, seller fees, shipping, and advertising. Managed marketplaces, such as ThredUp, collect items from sellers, process and list them, and sell them to buyers, while thrift stores, such as Savers Value Village and Goodwill, sell donated clothing in physical stores. Resale and consignment stores, such as Plato's Closet and 2nd Street, buy or consign items from consumers and resell them, and brand-owned resale programs allow customers to trade in used items and buy secondhand products directly from the brand.

Resale is increasingly connected to the broader apparel industry, as many brands and retailers have launched resale programs, often powered by technology and logistics providers such as Trove and Archive, to keep their products in circulation, attract new customers, and meet sustainability goals. Fashion retailers, such as Zalando, offer pre-owned categories on their platforms, and some department stores and specialty retailers have added secondhand sections in their stores. These developments are making resale a normal part of the fashion shopping experience.

The economics of resale differ by channel, as thrift stores receive most of their inventory as donations, which keeps acquisition costs low but means they must process large volumes of mixed-quality items, with unsold clothing often sold in bulk to textile exporters and recyclers. Peer-to-peer platforms hold no inventory and earn fees on each transaction, which allows them to scale quickly with low costs. Managed marketplaces and brand resale programs handle inventory themselves, which gives them more control over quality and presentation but requires significant investment in processing centers and logistics.

Sustainability and regulation are important forces in the market, because the fashion industry produces large amounts of waste, and most discarded clothing ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Governments, particularly in Europe, are introducing rules to reduce textile waste, such as extended producer responsibility for textiles and bans on destroying unsold goods, which encourage reuse and resale. At the same time, rising prices for new clothing and tight household budgets are making secondhand clothing more attractive for cost reasons.

Over the forecast period, the apparel resale market is expected to grow strongly, supported by changing consumer attitudes, online platforms, brand resale, regulation, and technology such as AI-based listing, pricing, and search, which make buying and selling secondhand clothing easier.

Footwear, particularly sneakers, is one of the fastest-growing categories in resale, supported by strong demand for limited-edition and premium sneakers and growing acceptance of secondhand footwear. Authentication services and specialized marketplaces have increased buyer trust in footwear resale. Footwear is the fastest-growing product type in this market.

Children's clothing is another strong opportunity, because children outgrow clothes quickly, and parents are increasingly buying and selling secondhand children's clothing to save money and reduce waste. Children form the fastest-growing end user in this market.

New regulations in Europe and other regions are expected to support resale. The EU's ban on destroying unsold apparel and footwear, which applies to large companies from July 2026, and the requirement for extended producer responsibility schemes for textiles under the revised Waste Framework Directive, will require brands to fund the collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of textiles. These rules are expected to increase the volume of clothing available for resale and encourage brands to invest in resale and reuse.

Similar policies are being considered in other countries and U.S. states, such as California's textile extended producer responsibility law, which could create new opportunities for resale and sorting businesses.

France has already introduced rules that ban the destruction of unsold non-food products and has run an extended producer responsibility scheme for textiles for many years, which provides an example for other countries. As these rules expand, brands will have stronger incentives to design more durable products, collect used items, and support resale.

Japanese consumers have always valued high-quality secondhand items, and apps have made selling as easy as taking a photo. We are now seeing strong growth from younger users and cross-border buyers.