Surge in secondhand shopping benefits Sonoma County thrift stores and big online sites

From the durable community thrift store to the growing popularity of online apparel resale platforms like Depop and fully digital consignment shops like ThredUp and TheRealReal, the surging secondhand clothing business is positioning itself for strong sales over the next several years.

Shoppers say the allure begins with economics — it’s typically cheaper than buying new — but also can be more environmentally conscious, eliminating needless waste and promoting reuse.

“We’ve definitely seen an uptick in sales in the last few years, as well as a lot more younger people,” said Brian Benn, manager of Pick of the Litter, Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County’s thrift store in Santa Rosa.

Industry research shows secondhand retail with real staying power, fueled by a number of factors.

Forbes in 2021 tied the expansion to green-leaning consumers, as well as supply chain issues and economic uncertainty due to the pandemic.

Benn also thinks it’s because secondhand apparel allows consumers to find unique pieces that no one else has, making the outing a whole experience or “like a game.”

“People want to be unique, but also cost conscious. There’s also definitely an environmental aspect, as well. Shoppers are a lot more concerned with who they are supporting. Some big brands will literally burn clothing rather than sell it at a cheaper price. A lot of people don’t like that and don't want to be a part of that,” Benn said.

Estimates from ThredUp, one of the giants in the sector, indicate that shopping second hand has coalesced into a global trend over the past five years, with the secondhand market expected to grow 127% by 2026, reaching a total of $82 billion.

More than half of of consumers resold apparel in 2021, and 74% of consumers shopped or are open to shopping secondhand apparel, according to the online consignment shop.

“When I have to buy something new for the house, shopping secondhand is the first place I look,” said Hannah Williams, 26, Santa Rosa resident and a self-described “thrifter.”

“There’s some good stuff and it’s a lot cheaper,” Williams said. “I also feel like the older stuff lasts a lot longer than the newer stuff.”

Rising awareness about the global clothing industry’s toll on workers and the environment, plus ongoing economic turmoil, are driving the change, according to some retail studies.

Secondhand goods displaced nearly 1 billion clothing purchases in 2021 that normally would have been bought new, ThredUp’s report states. The survey found more than 40% of consumers begin with secondhand outlets when they set out to shop for clothing.

That share is even higher among a younger demographic. Among Gen Z and millennial shoppers, 62% say they look for an item second hand before purchasing it new, according to ThredUp, reflecting a shift away from the past stigmatization of secondhand shopping.

“Around 2017, 2018 there was a shift and now there’s a lot more younger people shopping here,” Benn said.

A survey by GlobalData, a data analytics and consulting company based in London, indicated that the generations most willing to buy secondhand apparel were Generation Z and millennials.

Price relief and the lighter environmental footprint are key selling points for younger consumers, the survey analysis states. But the pursuit of unique pieces is also part of the appeal.

“The biggest notable difference is the way people shop. A lot of older groups will shop individually or in pairs, but a lot of younger people shop in groups. It’s more of an experience — they will take pictures and post it on social media. They don’t usually buy as much stuff individually, but as group they spend more. It’s a fun experience for them — there’s weird, unique stuff and it’s fun to get a friends take on something clothing or art-wise,” Benn said.

Online shopping platforms including Depop or Vinted, which allow users to resell apparel fairly easily on a smartphone, have also been behind the increased interest in secondhand shopping and selling.

Depop, based in London, registered unprecedented growth in May and July 2020, with over one million downloads per month, according to data from the Statista Research department.

By 2024, ThredUp predicts that half of profit from secondhand sales will be made online. Big clothing retailers, including Walmart and Zara, also are looking to cash in with their own secondhand divisions.

Locally, Sutter Hospice Thrift, with stores in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, has seen a new wave of younger customers looking to buy vintage items cheap and resell them for profit.

One of their employees puts out a new rack daily of hand-picked items trending on social media apps like TikTok to interest resellers. Lately, she’s displayed vintage clothing from the 1970s to the 90s to draw in the younger crowd.

Proceeds at Sutter Hospice Thrift also go to a good cause: supporting low-income families with loved ones in end-of-life care. Two of its stores closed during the pandemic, but business is bouncing back, said Hanna Larum, the regional operations manager

“We get the poorest of the poor and some very wealth people coming in here. The stigma is gone,” she said.

Kylie Lawrence can be reached at kylie.lawrence@pressdemocrat.com.