Thrift And Thrive: The New Gen Z Flex

Fashion is flipping its financial script, and young consumers are leading the change, by flocking to thrift stores. But be mindful of your expenses and don't use low-cost items as an excuse to overspend

- Priyanka Debnath

There's a visible shift in how young people are combining fashion with money, at bustling street markets and on digital resale platforms. Thrift shopping, once primarily driven by necessity, has now emerged as a deliberate lifestyle choice for many in their 20s.

For Gen Z consumers, building a wardrobe is now a complex calculation that blends style and individuality with financial and environmental awareness. Thrift shopping, or buying preowned items, ticks all the boxes. The logic: owning fast-changing latest styles and vintage items at throwaway prices.

Numbers validate the trend. The secondhand apparel market in India is projected to grow from $5.20 billion in 2025 to $17.90 billion by 2031, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.80 per cent, according to a September 2025 research by Mobility Foresights, a Bengaluru-based market research and consulting firm.

Vani Krishna, 20, a student at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Panchkula, near Chandigarh, describes the psychological appeal. “The whole idea of thrifting was introduced to me in my first year of college, but I did not understand it until I went to an open market near my college. It was the thrill and the excitement which made me go back again, hoping to pick good pieces from a pile of clothes, at a reasonable rate.”

The exchange of used garments is a tradition rooted in centuries of resource management, necessity, and cultural evolution. But the digital shift in the 21st century has been a turning point, with online platforms and social media revolutionising thrifting. Young consumers are clearly leading this market expansion, fuelled by affordability, environmental awareness, and curated offerings by online resale platforms or thrift stores.

The Lure Of Thrift