The Real Appeal of Secondhand Shopping to Gen Z

Young people have been into secondhand shopping for a while, but Gen Z’s top reasons for it might not be what previous gens expect..

  • Gen Z’s biggest reason for shopping secondhand is to save money
  • Style comes next, as they love to hunt for unique, vintage pieces to create one-of-a-kind looks
  • While sustainability isn’t the top motivation, it’s still a bonus they value and expect brands to prioritize it, too
Secondhand shopping is nothing new, but Gen Z has transformed its image. YPulse’s latest Gen Z’s Thrift Shift Trend Report shows 78% of young consumers have purchased a secondhand item, with 28% of 13-17-year-olds and 40% of 18-24-year-olds making it at least a monthly habit. In fact, only 9% and 6% respectively say they never shop secondhand at all. Clearly, thrifting is a regular part of their shopping routines! And there’s no shame in it for this gen: 90% of teens and 72% of young adults agree there’s no shame in shopping secondhand.   Unlike Gen X and Millennials, who often saw secondhand shopping as something with a stigma tied to socioeconomic status, Gen Z is proud to incorporate thrifting into their lives. While their reasons for thrifting aren’t entirely new, they’ve managed to normalize and celebrate secondhand shopping in a way that feels like a stark departure from how previous gens viewed it. In fact, to these young gens, shopping secondhand isn’t just practical, it’s a badge of cool. YPulse...

Enter your colleagues' emails (max 10) to invite them to sign up for a YPulse account. We'll send them a message and let them know you invited them.

plus-circle Created with Sketch Beta.

Are these emails correct? If so, click Submit Invitation(s)?