Vintage and resale are on absolute hot-streaks. And, recent data shows this trend isn’t going to slow down anytime soon! Check out this graph!

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Sustainable Growth

In fact, according to Thredup, resale apparel is poised to grow at a rate of 9% annually through 2029. And, resale apparel is growing 2.7x faster than the overall global apparel market! This kind of growth seems to be driven by a number of factors – economic, entertainment, social, and ethical. Here is a visualization of that growth.

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Fun For All Ages

One fascinating piece of data shows that this market is strong in every age demographic, or generation. We see Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers taking part – with Millennials carrying the largest bag. Even more encouraging (economically and ethically) is the fact that Gen Z seems to be leading the way in increased adoption and growth of innovation in thrifting, such as new platforms for purchasing.

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Everyone’s A Winner!

All of this data is encouraging because it is evidence that vintage clothing is here to stay! That is good news for so many parties:

• The consumer – American thrifters saved an average of $1,452 per year.
• Stores – 25,000 thrift/second-hand stores exist in the U.S. Many of them use proceeds to support charitable work. Check out some of our favorite shops in the U.S. and globe right here!
• Our planet! (for more on this check out this post)
  • Purchasing a secondhand clothing item over a new one saves 8.41 pounds of carbon emissions, 16.48 kWh of energy, and 88.89 gallons of water. 
  • 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills yearly in the U.S., accounting for 7.7% of all landfill waste. 
  • The traditional fashion industry accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

All of this research gives a lot of reason for hope! Interested in saving some money, helping the planet, and supporting second-hand vintage sales?Check out the RCV shop!