Is fast fashion dying?

The future of shopping is looking a little more vintage, as a growing secondhand-seller market is projected to topple the mighty fast-fashion industry.

That’s according to a new report from ThredUp, one of the world’s largest online resellers. The report, which cites statistical information from third-party analytics firm GlobalData, paints the picture of a burgeoning thrift-sale market that could overtake the likes of H&M and Zara in the next decade, as economical shopping and sustainability trends persist. According to the report, 40% of thrifters say they’re replacing fast-fashion purchases with secondhand clothing, and resale is expected to be more than twice as large as fast fashion by 2030.

Not surprisingly, the trend is being driven by millennials and Gen Z consumers, who have shown greater demand for sustainable products as mega retail chains are increasingly criticized for their environmental impact and material waste. A purchase of one item that’s used, versus new, is estimated to displace 17.4 pounds of carbon emissions normally released during clothing production, reducing its carbon footprint by 82%. According to ThredUp, the typical thrifter bought seven items secondhand in 2020, displacing 9.4 billion lbs of CO2.

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