By Sarah Butler
Publication Date: 2026-04-02 10:00:00
Second-hand clothing sales are forecast to rise 12% to $289bn (£217bn) this year and will continue to rise as AI and social media influencers help shoppers find the items they want.
The rise of sites like Vinted, Depop, Vestige and ThredUp is expected to drive compound annual growth of 9% to $393 billion over the next five years, twice as fast as the overall clothing market.
The forecast comes from ThredUp’s annual resale report, which is based on research from market analyst GlobalData. In 2021, the market was worth just $141 billion, less than half of this year’s expected total.
Brands like Dr. Martens, Zara and Mulberry have started selling their own second-hand items or repairing and reviving used items as demand booms.
“Resale is no longer just growing, it is taking direct market share,” said James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of ThredUp, noting in his report that resale now accounts for a tenth of global apparel sales. “In 2025, the US used market grew by almost four…
