As families continue to feel the effects of higher prices, more shoppers are discovering something many of us in the resale community have known for years: buying secondhand just makes sense. And increasingly, younger shoppers are leading the way.
According to the 2025 Resale Report from ThredUp and retail analytics firm GlobalData, the U.S. secondhand apparel market grew 14% in 2024, five times faster than the broader retail clothing market. Gen Z and Millennials reported plans to spend nearly 46% of their apparel budgets on secondhand clothing over the following year.
For younger generations, resale offers more than lower prices. It provides an opportunity to find unique pieces, stretch a clothing budget and make a more environmentally conscious choice. In fact, 55% of younger shoppers surveyed said that if they can find an item secondhand, they won’t buy it new.
Keeping clothing in circulation also matters. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, millions of tons of clothing and footwear enter landfills each year. Giving quality clothing another life helps keep those pieces in use and out of the waste stream longer.
Not All Secondhand Shopping Is the Same
Although we often group everything under the term “thrift,” there are important differences.
Thrift stores primarily rely on donated merchandise. You give your items to the organization, the store sells them, and you receive no payment.
Buy-out resale stores purchase selected clothing directly from customers. You receive cash immediately, but typically at a much lower amount than the item’s potential selling price because the store assumes the risk of whether it will sell.
Consignment stores, like Sweet Repeats, work differently. We carefully select quality, desirable pieces and sell them on behalf of their owners. When an item sells, the proceeds are shared between the store and the consignor.
Another great advantage of consignment is that you don’t necessarily have to give up your items for good. At Sweet Repeats, if an item doesn’t sell, we’re happy to return it to you before the end of its consignment period. That means you have the opportunity to earn more for your quality pieces while still having the option to take them back if they don’t find a new home. There’s very little to lose, and potentially a lot more to gain.
That’s one of the things I love most about consignment. A purchase doesn’t just give a great piece of clothing another life. It can put money directly back into the pocket of a neighbor, friend, or family right here in our community.
At Sweet Repeats, we believe resale can be a win all the way around: shoppers save money, consignors earn money, quality clothing stays in use longer, and more of our dollars continue circulating here in the East Valley.
We invite you to experience it for yourself at our new Sweet Repeats location at 6321 E. Southern Ave., Suite 102, Mesa. Come shop, bring us your quality pieces to consign, or do both.
Save money. Make money. Reduce waste. And keep more of our dollars local.