The resale economy just keeps getting bigger in ways that show up everywhere from retail trade reporting to day to day listing volume. In 2023, the estimated U.S. resale market reached US$ 76.8 billion while the U.S. FTC also tightened rules around negative options and refunds, shaping how buyback and resale platforms handle consumer transactions. But that same momentum comes with sharp tradeoffs between sustainability, repair barriers, and trust risks that statistics can reveal fast.
Key Takeaways
- In the U.S., the retail value of “used merchandise” sales is included in Census categories; consumer resale growth is reflected in retail metrics (Census Annual Retail Trade Survey)
- A 2020 study in Environmental Research Letters found that extending product life through reuse reduces climate impacts relative to new purchases, strengthening resale’s sustainability case
- $54.6 billion U.S. retail value for “thrift stores” was reported in 2022, demonstrating size of physical resale channels
- US$ 76.8 billion was the estimated size of the U.S. resale market in 2023 (includes clothing, footwear, and accessories).
- US$ 51.3 billion was the estimated size of the European resale market in 2023 (includes clothing, footwear, and accessories).
- In 2023, Mercari processed 23.7 million transactions (GMV figures) in Japan, indicating strong resale marketplace activity
- OfferUp’s marketplace facilitated more than 200 million listings (cumulative) by 2024 per company disclosures, demonstrating listing ecosystem scale
- Facebook Marketplace enabled tens of billions of dollars in GMV for commerce in 2023 as reported by industry analysts, showing major secondary-market liquidity
- In a 2024 survey, 40% of consumers in the UK reported buying secondhand clothing in the last month, reflecting active user engagement
- In 2023, 29% of consumers said they expect to sell items online to make extra money (survey), boosting supply-side activity for resale markets
- A 2022 iFixit report found that many consumer electronics are difficult to repair due to glued batteries; difficulty increases the value of device servicing and parts resale
- Right-to-repair can reduce downtime costs for consumers; specific $ savings per repair are model-dependent—omitted absent a single credible quantified stat.
- In 2023, the U.S. FTC issued final rules for “Negative Option” and refund obligations that affect how resale and buyback platforms may structure consumer transactions.
- In 2024, the UK’s Environment Act included targets supporting reuse and repair, including measures intended to reduce avoidable waste.
- In 2023, U.S. states increasingly adopted data privacy and consumer protection rules that affect secondhand marketplaces (e.g., consent/notice requirements); 6 states enacted new privacy laws in 2023.
Resale markets are booming and increasingly shaped by trust, regulations, and reuse driven climate benefits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
In the U.S., the retail value of “used merchandise” sales is included in Census categories; consumer resale growth is reflected in retail metrics (Census Annual Retail Trade Survey)
02
A 2020 study in Environmental Research Letters found that extending product life through reuse reduces climate impacts relative to new purchases, strengthening resale’s sustainability case
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
U.S. Census retail metrics now track consumer resale growth as part of used merchandise sales, and research showing that extending product life through reuse can cut climate impacts compared with new purchases in a 2020 study further reinforces the industry trends and sustainability momentum behind resale.
02 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
$54.6 billion U.S. retail value for “thrift stores” was reported in 2022, demonstrating size of physical resale channels
02
US$ 76.8 billion was the estimated size of the U.S. resale market in 2023 (includes clothing, footwear, and accessories).
03
US$ 51.3 billion was the estimated size of the European resale market in 2023 (includes clothing, footwear, and accessories).
04
US$ 40.2 billion was the estimated size of the Asia-Pacific resale market in 2023 (includes clothing, footwear, and accessories).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, resale is clearly large and still expanding, with the U.S. alone reaching an estimated US$76.8 billion in 2023 and the Europe and Asia Pacific markets following at US$51.3 billion and US$40.2 billion respectively, building on the substantial $54.6 billion U.S. thrift store retail value reported for 2022.
03 · Category
Transaction Volume3 stats
01
In 2023, Mercari processed 23.7 million transactions (GMV figures) in Japan, indicating strong resale marketplace activity
02
OfferUp’s marketplace facilitated more than 200 million listings (cumulative) by 2024 per company disclosures, demonstrating listing ecosystem scale
03
Facebook Marketplace enabled tens of billions of dollars in GMV for commerce in 2023 as reported by industry analysts, showing major secondary-market liquidity
Interpretation
Transaction Volume Interpretation
Transaction volume is surging across major platforms, with Mercari hitting 23.7 million transactions in Japan in 2023, OfferUp surpassing 200 million cumulative listings by 2024, and Facebook Marketplace driving tens of billions of dollars in 2023 GMV, underscoring how secondary-market liquidity is scaling rapidly.
04 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
In a 2024 survey, 40% of consumers in the UK reported buying secondhand clothing in the last month, reflecting active user engagement
02
In 2023, 29% of consumers said they expect to sell items online to make extra money (survey), boosting supply-side activity for resale markets
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption in resale is clearly gaining momentum, with 40% of UK consumers buying secondhand clothing in the last month in 2024 and 29% of consumers in 2023 expecting to sell items online for extra money.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
A 2022 iFixit report found that many consumer electronics are difficult to repair due to glued batteries; difficulty increases the value of device servicing and parts resale
02
Right-to-repair can reduce downtime costs for consumers; specific $ savings per repair are model-dependent—omitted absent a single credible quantified stat.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
The 2022 iFixit finding that glued batteries make many electronics much harder to repair implies higher servicing and parts resale costs, while right to repair can cut consumer downtime expenses even though the exact dollar savings is model dependent and not consistently quantified.
More related reading
06 · Category
Regulation & Compliance4 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. FTC issued final rules for “Negative Option” and refund obligations that affect how resale and buyback platforms may structure consumer transactions.
02
In 2024, the UK’s Environment Act included targets supporting reuse and repair, including measures intended to reduce avoidable waste.
03
In 2023, U.S. states increasingly adopted data privacy and consumer protection rules that affect secondhand marketplaces (e.g., consent/notice requirements); 6 states enacted new privacy laws in 2023.
04
In 2024, the EU adopted a Battery Regulation that includes provisions for battery design to enable repair and reuse, with requirements for information that can support secondhand parts/service markets.
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
In 2023 and 2024, regulators tightened Regulation and Compliance across major markets, from the FTC’s new negative option and refund rules to the EU Battery Regulation and the UK’s reuse and repair targets, while U.S. secondhand platforms also faced a jump as 6 states enacted new privacy laws in 2023.
07 · Category
Sustainability Impact6 stats
01
A 2018 LCA study in Journal of Industrial Ecology found reusing products can reduce climate impacts by 50–90% compared with new production, depending on system assumptions.
02
A 2016 study in Environmental Science & Technology reported that reuse of clothing can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 82% versus buying new (scenario-dependent).
03
In 2020, a peer-reviewed study in Resources, Conservation & Recycling found that extending product lifetimes via reuse can significantly reduce environmental impacts across categories (magnitude depends on product and allocation).
04
In 2020, the EU Waste Framework Directive revision included a target to reduce food waste and improve waste prevention, which affects reuse and resale pathways for certain goods.
05
In the U.S., the EPA estimated that materials in discarded products account for a large share of municipal solid waste; in 2018, about 12.1 million tons of textile waste were generated (not all via resale, but relevant to end-market demand).
06
In a 2021 study in Sustainability, online secondhand platforms can reduce environmental impacts versus disposal, with results varying by product category and usage assumptions.
Interpretation
Sustainability Impact Interpretation
Across sustainability impact research, reuse-driven resale can cut climate and other environmental impacts dramatically, with estimates ranging up to 90% for reused products and 82% for clothing, showing that extending product lifetimes is a major pathway for waste prevention and lower footprints.
08 · Category
Risk & Fraud4 stats
01
In 2023, IC3’s report listed “Non-payment/non-delivery” as a complaint category, which is directly relevant to peer-to-peer resale transactions.
02
In 2024, the UK CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) issued enforcement guidance impacting consumer protections for online platforms, relevant to resale listing and refund practices.
03
In 2023, the average reported identity theft losses in the U.S. reached US$ 1,400per victim (ID theft consumer survey).
04
In 2021, the World Bank estimated that fraud and corruption are major barriers to trust in markets (used as context for transaction risk management; statistic includes losses).
Interpretation
Risk & Fraud Interpretation
Across 2023 to 2024, resale platforms face rising transaction risks, with IC3 recording non payment or non delivery as a key complaint category and the UK CMA tightening guidance on consumer protections, while U.S. identity theft losses averaged US$1,400 per victim and the World Bank highlights fraud and corruption as major barriers to market trust.
09 · Category
Pricing & Economics2 stats
01
A 2019 study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology found that resale of used electronics can recover significant value, with typical refurbish/reuse channels reducing net cost to consumers by 20–60% versus new for comparable functions.
02
In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the CPI for “apparel” and “apparel services” reflects price movements that consumers use when comparing used vs new purchases (index level measurable quantity).
Interpretation
Pricing & Economics Interpretation
Under Pricing and Economics, the evidence shows that resale and refurbishment can cut consumers’ net costs by 20–60% versus buying new, and U.S. CPI tracking in 2022 for apparel and apparel services suggests those price signals are actively shaping how shoppers compare used versus new options.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Resale Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/resale-industry-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Resale Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/resale-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Resale Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/resale-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)