STRATEGIES FOR SHOPPING SECONDHAND

We'll show you how to score the best discounts— and avoid the pitfalls—when you buy clothes, electronics, furniture and more.

- BY EMMA PATCH

ALTHOUGH secondhand shopping is nothing new, it has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks in large part to younger generations—particularly eco-conscious and thrifty millennials and Gen Zers. The rapid growth of online resale marketplaces has made it clear that for many, secondhand no longer equates to second best. A record number of shoppers bought secondhand apparel in 2024, according to the 2025 Resale Market and Consumer Trend Report by ThredUp, a leading online apparel reseller. Nearly 60% of all consumers, and nearly 70% of Gen Zers and millennials, shopped for secondhand clothing last year.

Buyers will find no shortage of choices in the used clothing market. The amount of all clothing in existence right now could dress the next six generations of humanity, with more than 100 billion pieces produced annually, according to research by Patrick James Grant, author of Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish: How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier. And from electronics to furniture, plenty of stuff besides clothing is being produced in abundance, too.

Fortunately, resale markets provide consumers the opportunity to make use of the excess. “We strive to keep products out of waste streams and in circulation,” says Brittany Dickinson, director of sustainability at Goodwill Industries International. Goodwill recovered more than 4.3 billion pounds of used goods in 2024, Dickinson says.