Thrift shopping’s new frontier

The future of second hand shopping is online

Jackie Marquez / Asst. Opinion Editor / The USD Vista

Goodwill, a nonprofit organization that resells donated clothing and other items at low prices, launched an online version of its thrift stores on Oct. 4 this year. On their new website, GoodwillFinds.com, the company offers the experience of thrifting in a digital format. Thrifting is a form of shopping done at second hand stores where consumers can buy used items for cheaper prices. Shoppers can navigate through different sections of the homepage to find anything from secondhand sci-fi books to statement pieces to suitcases.

The creation of this site reflects the future of the secondhand industry. As other industries move to digital storefronts, the move to online thrifting is necessary to keep thrifting relevant. Online thrifting helps the secondhand industry compete with other online retailers, making it more accessible than in-person thrifting.

It also provides a more sustainable alternative to traditional online shopping, and it offers a wider variety of goods than local thrifting. As such, students who enjoy online shopping or thrifting in person should support online thrift stores with their business.

Thrifting has become a staple to Generation Z’s culture of conscious consumerism. The low prices and allure of finding something unique draws in younger crowds, while offering a sustainable alternative to mainstream fashion retailers. The practice is only expected to grow in popularity.

According to a resale report by Thredup, the secondhand market has grown by 32% in 2021. It is predicted to double in size by 2026.

Much like thrifting, online shopping also grew in popularity. Online shopping has been around since the dawn of the internet, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, its popularity has skyrocketed.

According to Statista, online sales in the U.S. generated around $470 billion in 2021 alone. This is projected to rise to $560 billion by 2025. This growth in online shopping has made the internet the new frontier for fashion retailers, including second hand sellers.

With both online sales and the secondhand market growing, it makes sense for thrift stores to move online. In fact, ThredUp’s resale report predicts it to grow four times in size by 2026.

Currently, companies such as Shein, Fashion Nova and Amazon Fashion dominate the digital market. They fulfill a niche with their online accessibility. Customers can shop anytime from anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. For college students, this is a huge plus. I’ve seen students online shopping in the library, in on-campus dining locations and even during lectures. This accessibility is something that in-person thrifting lacks: A thrifting trip can take hours out of a person’s day. Shoppers have to sift through aisles of clothes, many of which are poorly organized.

Thrift shopping is a true treasure hunt, you never know what you’ll find or when you’ll find it. By moving online, thrift stores like Goodwill are able to reach customers who prefer to do their shopping on the internet. While thrift stores will likely never reach the scale of mainstream fashion corporations online, the accessibility of moving online prevents thrift stores from being left in the dust.

In doing so, secondhand companies provide an alternative that is just as accessible as other companies.

Online thrift shopping mimics the format of online shopping, while still providing more sustainable options. Before online thrift stores, customers were limited to firsthand garments from companies like those previously mentioned. The fast fashion companies that dominate the internet harm the environment by depleting nonrenewable resources and contributing to pollution. Earth.org reports that the fast fashion industry uses the second highest amount of water out of any industry. Its use of synthetic fabrics contributes 35% of all microplastics in the ocean. It also requires large amounts of energy to create such fabrics, which is generated through  burning fossil fuels.

Buying second hand ensures that your purchase doesn’t contribute to additional environmental harm. By moving thrift stores to an online space, the secondhand industry provides a more sustainable option for online shoppers.

Online storefronts also expand the experience of thrifting for customers. Local thrift stores collect their inventory from the community. Individuals bring old clothes into the store or leave them in collection boxes located around the city. Because this inventory is coming from a limited geographic area, there can be a lack of variety in what’s available.

My hometown was very agricultural, and the clothing donated to local thrift stores reflected that. There was an abundance of flannels and Levi’s, but it was rare to find name brand goods. Online thrift stores collect a wider variety of goods, in fact they source their clothes from around the U.S. This provides more diverse styles and garments.

While this style of thrifting provides more variety, the process of donating goods can be tedious. Other online second hand stores like ThredUp rely on people mailing in the clothes they’d like to donate. With ThredUp, people can request a “consignment kit” and the company will send them a bag and shipping label so they can drop off their donations at FedEx or USPS.

ThredUp doesn’t say exactly where the clothes are mailed to, but they are sent to a facility for inspection and then listed for sale by the business. Other online secondhand stores like Ebay and Depop allow users to list their clothes themselves. Then they send their items directly to buyers.  

Printing a shipping label, packaging clothes and then mailing off said clothes takes a lot of effort. Creating listings for items takes even more. On top of this the format is less accessible to unhoused individuals and people without internet access. Goodwill’s way of collection partially addresses the issue. Goodwill’s online store has people drop off their donations the same way they would do so in person. Then, local stores send items in to be processed and listed online.

This takes the burden of shipping and listing off of the people looking to get rid of their used stuff.

To fully address the downsides of online thriting, it’s important that in-person thrift stores are not phased out. Rather, second hand stores should offer a balance of in-person and online thrifting.

By providing an online option, thrift stores like Goodwill ensure their longevity. The format allows second hand sellers to bring in new customers. It also improves upon the existing way to thrift. Goodwill’s move online sets the standard for other thrift chains, and those other chains should follow their lead. After all, it’s more convenient and better for the environment.