Today, thrifting is a common habit among adolescents and young adults in the United States. According to the journal Scientific Reports, 79% of Americans aged 18 to 24 have purchased from thrift stores. Chances are, as the new school year begins and the summer season fades out, you know a good number of friends and peers thrifting for new clothes. How has thrifting become so popular in the last decade, and is it an advantageous choice for students?
Purchasing habits for clothing garments completely changed during the industrial revolution, when massive production efforts and increased efficiency made clothing widely affordable for the general public. For the first time, people thought of clothes as disposable items and began cycling through different styles. According to TIME, pawnshops and pushcart vendors emerged during this time period. They actively sought out ways to reuse discarded clothing, becoming the first model for modern thrift shops.
The first modern thrift store emerged in the 1890s. Among rising demand for charitable assistance caused by rapid urbanization, charitable organizations created a new retail model based on charity and commerce. These organizations, led by the Salvation Army and Goodwill, began collecting goods, sorting and repairing them, reselling the products, and donating proceeds to social programs. Alongside the charitable donation of clothes, furniture items and household goods were also sold to support social work.
The economic desperation of the Great Depression, government policies during World War II, postwar prosperity and culture shifts, and growing environmental concerns continued to power the growth of thrifting in the next century.
By the late 1990s, the rise of technology and online marketplaces allowed for more households to sell their used goods to the general public. Platforms like eBay, Poshmark, and Depop became especially popular for reselling clothing items. As the fast fashion industry developed rapidly around the same time period, consumers became drawn to second-hand purchases due to the especially short lifespan of newly produced garments.
In the last 15 years, social media and the COVID-19 pandemic brought thrifting to an unprecedented high. Social media platforms introduced thrifting into mainstream culture through trends showcasing clothing hauls, styling videos, and upcycling tutorials.
According to TIME, social media popularity is the turning point for thrifting’s adoption among younger consumers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increased online shopping habits and were more likely to clean out household items for sale. This accelerated the online sales industry, making the decision to thrift more than just economical.
Today, consumers thrift for clothing items because of affordability, unique styles, and sustainability. The market has expanded to include new niches, such as luxury resale and vintage boutiques. For adolescents and young adults who are growing and experimenting with style, thrifting is the ideal alternative that allows them to explore new styles at an affordable price. The practice of thrifting also makes fashion more participatory, as owners and buyers are directly connected through online resale platforms and small, personal thrift shops.
Although thrifting emerged as an economic alternative, it has transformed into a participatory, cultural activity that is widely popular among adolescents and young adults. Fueled by the rise of online resale platforms and environmental awareness, thrifting’s continued rise promises more sustainable purchasing decisions to come.
