HOW RESALE SITES ARE CHANGING THE GAME

THE CAUSE IN THE RISE OF

18 HOW RESALE SITES ARE CHANGING THE GAME.

Secondhand fashion is becoming increasingly popular, especially among Generation Z. With the assistance of social media, the notion of buying pre-worn items is suddenly trendy, and not just for people on a budget. This renewed interest in thrifting is spreading to online channels, with the number of resale sites specialising in the selling of preloved apparel, such as Depop, Thredup, Vinted and Vestiaire rapidly increasing. As the surge of resale increases, major companies such as Levi's and New Look, are getting in on the game by selling pre-worn merchandise, particularly Depop, vinted and Vestiarie who are unique in the sense that they are set up like social networking sites, sharing articles and news whilst also creating feeds consumers can scroll through to come across unique vintage pieces at the touch of a screen. (Wright,2022).

Depop which has been deemed Gen Z’s favourite resale app, being the ringleader of the resale market, have been teaming up with higher end popular brands such as Levi’s and Dr Martins to create collaborations that target a new market of consumers and break down the stigma barriers around secondhand fashion. Levi’s are known for their sustainable attributes, launching their global buy better, wear longer campaign that was pioneered by Generation Z activists and influencers such as musician, designer, and actor Jaden Smith and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, who urged their peers to reuse, repurpose, and reduce their consumption impact. Levi’s head of marketing at Australia and New Zealand, Trent Bos, expressed his interest in “encouraging everyone to buy better and wear longer”. He also added that his intention with this collaboration is to encourage creativity in order for people to upcycle clothing already hanging in their wardrobes and to “ultimately help accelerate more sustainable living to create a better world of tomorrow.” Depop has grown beyond a resale app and has now become a community of environmentally conscious individuals, young entrepreneurs, and creatives. (Huntington,2021). Levi’s collaboration with Depop consists of reworked and made new again signature pieces that have been creatively transformed with illustrations. The new denim collection is available through Depop shops that are Gen Z creators Premium Zoo, furrylittlepeach, and EXXY. Each of the creators have taken pairs of upcycled 501’s and truckers’ jackets to let loose and be as creative as they want on each piece of garment. (Pirovic, 2021).

FIG 14: Screenshot by Eleanor O’Brien

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FIG 15: Photography by Bertholot, E. for Glamour Magazine

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FIG 16: Screenshot by Eleanor Obrien

Depop stand for creating a better future in terms of sustainability and the fashion industry. Depop say changing fashion isn’t difficult. It's as simple as altering our shopping habits. Keeping garments that have previously passed from one person to another. Keeping the tales, culture, values, and designs alive for as long as feasible. They want to spread the sustainable message, to let go of what isn’t working and build something with more vibrancy, opportunity, optimism, and something that symbolises how we wish to regard one another and our home. Circular fashion could be the new sustainable system the industry needs. There are currently 26 million registered users on Depop alone, 90% of these active users are generation Z, being under the age of 26, across 150 countries globally. Depop’s most popular styles that sell the most include vintage, streetwear, one of a kind and Y2K (year 2000’s style) (Depop newsroom, 2022).

Resale apps enable young people to create businesses within a niche market. People are able to set up profiles and can allow their creativity to flourish, creating their own branding from logos to creating a name and putting their stamp on their profile page. Whilst people can shop on these resale platforms, they are also able to make money and a livelihood through the apps (How to get rich, 2020). Consumers aged 25 and under regard resale shopping as a sport, with the purpose of reselling used luxury items at greater prices later. The tendency has grown in popularity as the country's inflationary difficulties worsen (Bloomberg, 2022).

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The Vintage Store has taken over popular fast fashion brand Topshop’s space on the high street, in Liverpool One. Topshop fell into administration during lockdown restrictions in 2021, resulting in the closure of all their stores across the UK. The Vintage Store has been targeting and moving into huge vacant fashion stores around the country on an anti-fast fashion campaign. According to the founders, business partners Aaron Thornhill and Kane Blythe, it will not only be Liverpool's largest vintage store, but also the largest in the United Kingdom. The Vintage Store, which bills itself as the UK's largest vintage shop, specialises in giving pre-loved garments a second life on a vast scale. Their intentions are to encourage buyers to think more carefully about what they wear and the environmental impact it makes. "It's giving clothing a second chance rather than throwing them away," Aaron explained. The brand aims to help people modify their purchasing habits, and the partnership is eager to lead the charge toward re-wearing rather than fast fashion, including manufacturing hats and totes out of damaged or unsaleable items so that nothing goes to waste (Vintage Store take over, 2022)