The trendiest place to shop for clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories used to be the mall. Now it’s at the local thrift store.
Thrift store visits have surged since 2019, driven by GenZers’ intense commitment to shopping sustainably combined with their yearning for nostalgia and affordably scoring “vintage” 80s, 90s and Y2K fashion.
More recently, concerns about tariffs pushing up the cost of products — everything from groceries to household needs such as clothing, shoes, even furniture — is driving interest in secondhand merchandise more broadly among a wider swath of consumers.
According to the latest numbers from Placer.ai, which uses mobile-device location data to analyze shopper foot-traffic patterns, visits to thrift stores jumped nearly 40% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to the second quarter of 2019.
Looking at year-over-year patterns, thrift store visits rose almost 8% in the second quarter of this year from a year ago, while shopper trips in the third quarter (to date) are up a stronger 10.1% versus a year ago.
Evidence of thrifting's move into the mainstream is also found in rising household incomes among thrift shoppers and increasing shares of rural and suburban shoppers flocking to sellers of previously-owned merchandise.
Placer.ai said the median household income of areas with the most robust visits to thrift stores rose to $75,500 during the first half of 2025 — up from $73,300 during the first half of 2019.
Explosive growth
The market in the US for previously-owned clothing is expected to reach $74 billion by 2029, from total sales of about $49 billion in 2024, according to a joint annual industry report from ThredUp, the world’s largest online thrift and consignment platform, and research and analytics firm GlobalData.
The secondhand clothing market worldwide is expected to hit $367 billion over the next four years, from an estimated $227 billion last year.
“Secondhand shopping has seen explosive growth in recent years, fueled by platforms like Depop, Poshmark, and Vinted,” said Misha Williams, chief operating officer of consumer research firm GWI.
According to GWI, he said about 11% of Americans now purchase secondhand items weekly.
“The trend is especially pronounced among younger generations: 13% of millennials bought secondhand in the past week, making them 136% more likely to do so than Baby Boomers,” Williams said. “This isn’t a passing fad. Since Covid, secondhand shopping has steadily climbed as consumers look for community, value, and more sustainable ways to shop.”
For thrifting, Gen Z goes offline
Although younger shoppers have a solid preference for online shopping— nearly half of all Gen Z teens shop online at least once a week — they’ll make an exception for thrifting.
“While much apparel shopping has shifted online – and digital resale platforms like ThredUp are gaining traction – thrifting remains inherently experiential and in-person,” the Placer.ai report said.
Goodwill is experiencing this at its thrift stores.
“We are increasingly seeing lines at our 3,400 community stores, driven by record donations and transactions,” said David Eagles, executive vice president and chief operating officer with Goodwill Industries International.
He said Goodwill’s network received nearly 280 million shoppers and more than 116 million donations in 2024, “both all-time highs.”
“That momentum has only accelerated in 2025, with exceptionally strong results in recent months and donations and transactions continuing to climb,” Eagles said.
The largest gains in customer traffic, are coming from Gen Z and millennials shoppers.
“They are embracing thrift as both a sustainable choice and a cultural movement. Families are shopping more with us to stretch their budgets, while older generations remain loyal,” he said.
Eagles said Goodwill stores saw particularly strong back-to-school shopping momentum this year. “Parents are coming in for clothing, and students are shopping for furniture, kitchenware, and home goods,” he said.
Among the most sought-after items at resale, clothing tops the list, followed by strong growth in household goods, furniture, and home décor, Eagles noted.
“Families are stretching budgets. More shoppers are also seeking sustainable choices that keep items out of landfills and extend product life,” he said. “And perhaps most importantly, every purchase at Goodwill stays local, funding nonprofit services that help neighbors prepare for work, build skills, and find jobs.”