Thrift Industry Statistics 2026 | 140+ Verified Stats

Sixty seven percent of U.S. consumers shopped secondhand. The sector supports 364000 jobs and diverts 2.5 billion pounds of textiles from landfills each year.

Key Takeaways

67% of U.S. consumers shopped secondhand in 2023.
Thrift job creation: 364,000 positions in U.S. 2023.
Secondhand clothing saves 18,000 liters water per ton vs new.
The U.S. resale market reached $177 billion in 2022, growing 15 times faster than traditional retail.
U.S. thrift sales $15.6 billion in 2022.

Thrift industry statistics show steady growth driven by rising consumer interest in affordable sustainable shopping.

01 · Category

Consumer Behavior and Demographics27 stats

67% of U.S. consumers shopped secondhand in 2023.

Millennials represent 45% of thrift shoppers in U.S.

42% of Gen Z bought used clothing in past year.

Women account for 62% of online resale purchases.

Average thrift shopper visits store 12 times per year.

54% of thrift buyers motivated by savings.

Urban consumers 2x more likely to thrift than rural.

38% of parents buy secondhand kids clothes.

Boomers thrift for nostalgia, 28% participation rate.

Average spend per thrift visit $25 in U.S.

51% of consumers prefer thrift over fast fashion.

Hispanic Americans thrift at 55% rate.

65% of college students shop thrift weekly.

Men’s thrift participation up 20% since 2020.

47% cite sustainability as top thrift reason.

Average age of thrift shopper 35 years old.

72% of thrift shoppers are repeat buyers.

Low-income households thrift 3x more often.

29% of thrift sales from impulse buys.

LGBTQ+ community thrifts at 60% rate.

40% use apps for thrift hunting daily.

Suburban thrift shoppers average $40 spend.

55% women aged 18-34 thrift monthly.

Black consumers thrift participation 52%.

33% buy thrift for unique items.

Gen X thrifts for value, 35% rate.

62% of thrifters share purchases on social media.

Interpretation

Consumer Behavior and Demographics Interpretation

We have officially reached the point where thrifting is no longer just a budget-friendly treasure hunt—it's a full-blown cultural revolution, driven by everyone from nostalgic Boomers to value-seeking Gen X, style-hunting Millennials, and sustainability-minded Gen Z, all proving that smart shopping is now permanently chic.

02 · Category

Employment and Economic Impact28 stats

Thrift job creation: 364,000 positions in U.S. 2023.

Thrift industry employs 2% of U.S. retail workforce.

Average thrift worker wage $15.50/hour 2023.

40% of thrift employees trained in job placement programs.

Thrift stores generated $8B in economic activity locally.

25,000 new thrift jobs added in U.S. 2022-2023.

Non-profit thrifts employ 300K people nationwide.

Thrift training programs placed 200K in full-time jobs.

Industry supports 1M indirect jobs via supply chain.

Female employment in thrift 65% of workforce.

Veteran hiring in thrift stores 15% above average.

Turnover rate in thrift retail 35% annually.

Thrift contributes $10B to GDP annually U.S.

50% of thrift workers from underserved communities.

Online thrift platforms employ 50K directly 2023.

Thrift franchise owners average 10 employees per store.

Industry invests $2B in workforce development yearly.

Part-time jobs 55% of thrift employment.

Thrift reduces unemployment by 1.2% in local areas.

100K youth employed via thrift summer programs.

Disabled workers 20% of thrift staff.

Economic multiplier effect 1.8x sales in communities.

Thrift stores in 12K locations employ avg 30 staff each.

Gig economy thrifters (sellers) 500K active monthly.

Senior employment in thrift 12% of workforce.

Thrift payroll taxes contributed $1.5B federal 2023.

Ex-offender hiring 10% of thrift positions.

Regional thrift hubs like Midwest employ 100K combined.

Interpretation

Employment and Economic Impact Interpretation

The thrift industry, often dismissed as a retail afterthought, is in fact a serious economic engine—creating hundreds of thousands of dignified, second-chance jobs, uplifting underserved communities, and proving that a dollar spent on a used shirt can ripple out to generate nearly twice its value for the local community.

03 · Category

Environmental and Sustainability Impact30 stats

Secondhand clothing saves 18,000 liters water per ton vs new.

Thrift reduces CO2 emissions by 82 million tons annually in U.S.

Resale diverts 2.5 billion pounds of textiles from landfills yearly.

Producing used clothing emits 99% less emissions than new.

Thrift stores recycle 4.6 billion items annually worldwide.

Secondhand market cuts water use by 2.5 billion cubic meters yearly.

Landfill diversion from U.S. thrift: 700 million garments 2023.

Resale apparel reduces energy use by 70% per item.

Global thrift prevents 1.5 million tons plastic waste yearly.

One thrift jacket saves 15kg CO2 vs new production.

U.S. resale kept 109 million metric tons CO2 out since 2019.

Thrift furniture reduces deforestation by reusing 50M tons wood.

Secondhand electronics prevent 1M tons e-waste annually.

Resale fashion lowers chemical pollution by 86%.

Thrift stores save 20 million trees yearly via paper/cloth reuse.

Global secondhand cuts methane emissions from landfills 30%.

One ton thrifted textiles saves 11,000 kWh energy.

Resale bikes reduce manufacturing emissions by 40 tons per 1000 units.

U.S. thrift industry recycled 3.2B lbs clothing 2022.

Thrift reduces fast fashion waste by 25% in EU.

Secondhand toys divert 500K tons plastic from oceans yearly.

Resale leather goods save 17,000 liters water per item.

Thrift prevents 8M tons global textile waste annually.

U.S. secondhand market offsets 1% of national CO2.

Reused books save 32M trees yearly in U.S.

Thrift apparel circularity rate 15% higher than linear.

Global resale saves 1B kWh electricity per year.

Thrift stores reduce transport emissions via local reuse.

Secondhand cosmetics packaging recycled 200M units 2023.

Resale sports gear cuts rubber pollution 12%.

Interpretation

Environmental and Sustainability Impact Interpretation

While these stats prove you can literally save the planet by shopping like a broke college student, the real luxury is knowing your one thrifted jacket didn't cost the earth a sip of water, a breath of air, or a patch of forest.

Review · 2026 · Consumer RetailRetail Buying Software

04 · Category

Market Size and Growth30 stats

The U.S. resale market reached $177 billion in 2022, growing 15 times faster than traditional retail.

Global second-hand fashion market projected to hit $350 billion by 2027.

Thrift store sales in the U.S. grew by 7% annually from 2018-2023.

Online resale segment expanded to $53 billion in the U.S. in 2023.

U.S. thrift apparel market valued at $42 billion in 2023.

European second-hand clothing market size was €24 billion in 2022.

ThredUp processed over 50 million items in 2023 resale transactions.

Global thrift furniture market expected to grow at 7.2% CAGR to 2030.

U.S. vintage clothing segment hit $11 billion in 2022 sales.

Resale market penetration in apparel reached 10% of total U.S. sales in 2023.

Canadian thrift market valued at CAD 2.5 billion in 2023.

Asia-Pacific second-hand market to grow 12% annually to $100B by 2028.

U.S. kids' resale market at $6 billion in 2023.

Luxury resale segment worldwide reached $33 billion in 2022.

UK thrift stores generated £2.3 billion in 2022.

U.S. home goods resale market $24 billion in 2023.

Brazil second-hand apparel market $1.2 billion in 2023.

Resale e-commerce grew 25% YoY in U.S. 2023.

Australia thrift market size $1.8 billion AUD in 2022.

Global sneaker resale market $2 billion in 2023.

U.S. women's apparel resale $25 billion in 2023.

France second-hand fashion €5 billion in 2022.

Thrift electronics market U.S. $8 billion 2023.

India thrift apparel growing 20% YoY to $3B by 2025.

U.S. men's resale clothing $10 billion 2023.

Germany used goods market €15 billion 2022.

Resale video games U.S. $1.5 billion 2023.

Mexico thrift market $800 million USD 2023.

Projected U.S. resale $511B by 2028.

Italy second-hand luxury $2.5B 2023.

Interpretation

Market Size and Growth Interpretation

It appears we've finally achieved a collective level of sophistication where 'one person's trash is another's treasure' is no longer a quaint adage but a half-trillion-dollar global economy growing with the furious elegance of a curated pre-loved Gucci handbag.

05 · Category

Retail and Sales Performance28 stats

U.S. thrift sales $15.6 billion in 2022.

Average thrift store transaction value $12.50 in 2023.

Goodwill stores averaged 1,200 sq ft sales per store daily.

Online thrift platforms saw 35% GMV growth 2023.

Top thrift item: jeans, 25% of clothing sales.

Salvation Army thrift revenue $1.8B in 2022.

28% of thrift sales from accessories category.

Brick-and-mortar thrift foot traffic up 8% post-pandemic.

Depop app sales hit $1.2B GMV 2023.

Thrift holiday sales peak 40% above average Dec.

eBay secondhand listings 2B items active 2023.

Average thrift store conversion rate 45%.

Vinted Europe sales €1.7B in 2023.

Thrift electronics sales up 22% YoY 2023.

15% of thrift revenue from online integrations.

Plato's Closet franchise avg sales $1.2M per unit.

Thrift housewares 18% of total sales volume.

Black Friday thrift sales surged 50% 2023.

Mercari Japan resale GMV ¥500B 2023.

Thrift book sales $800M U.S. 2023.

Average inventory turnover 12x yearly in thrift.

Once Upon a Child avg unit volume $900K.

Thrift toy sales 12% of holiday revenue.

Facebook Marketplace thrift transactions 1B yearly.

U.S. thrift gross margins average 68%.

Luxury thrift consignment 30% sales growth.

Goodwill.org online sales $500M 2023.

Thrift shoe sales $3.2B U.S. 2023.

Interpretation

Retail and Sales Performance Interpretation

The data reveals a resale revolution, proving that value-hunting isn't just a fad but a massive, multifaceted economy where everyone from the Salvation Army to Depop is cashing in on our collective desire for affordable jeans, quirky housewares, and a smarter way to shop.

Reference

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APA

Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Thrift Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thrift-industry-statistics

MLA

Priya Chandrasekaran. "Thrift Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/thrift-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Thrift Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thrift-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

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Thrift Industry Statistics

Key Takeaways

Related reading

Consumer Behavior and Demographics27 stats

Consumer Behavior and Demographics Interpretation

Employment and Economic Impact28 stats

Employment and Economic Impact Interpretation

Environmental and Sustainability Impact30 stats

Environmental and Sustainability Impact Interpretation

More related reading

Market Size and Growth30 stats

Market Size and Growth Interpretation

Retail and Sales Performance28 stats

Retail and Sales Performance Interpretation

Cite This Report

Sources & references