There has been a general long-standing negative association with second-hand, hand-me-downs, pre-owned, used, thrifting and preloved items, which is rapidly being flipped on its head when it comes to fashion. It’s widely known that conscious consumerism is on the rise, many other key factors are positively impacting the mass adoption of preloved clothing.
It has also been broadly publicised that the preloved/resale market has grown 21 times faster when compared to new apparel in the last three years. And remarkably, “the second-hand market is projected to double in the next five years.”
There are two distinctive types of preloved or thrifting stores; one includes expensive, designer, high-street vintage clothing. The other, which accounts for most thrift shops in Cape Town and Johannesburg, offers more affordable and contemporary fashion items that originated from traditional retailers.
The majority of Millennials and Gen Z consumers are more comfortable buying sustainable fashion. In fact, according to research conducted by GlobalData, ‘the 18- 37-year-old age group choose used-goods over new about 2,5 times more than other generations.’
Thrifting/preloved shoppers are motivated by a number of different advantages;
Conscious Consumerism
The world’s consumers are becoming hyper focused on the social and environmental impact of their buying habits. A growing audience of consumers genuinely care about where and how products are made. Movements aligned to climate change and fair trade, etc are opening up and shifting consumers’ minds to support sustainable organisations. Thrifting counters the effect of fast fashion on the environment and when it’s linked to a charity aspect, it presents a win-win-win scenario for conscious consumers. An example of this is Chic Mamas Do Care. The non-profit organisation is a purpose-led brand founded on sustainable fashion, intent on supporting educational development projects to help break the cycle of poverty in SA. Consumers can find affordable and stylish, quality clothing, and help reduce the impact on landfills (textile waste), while giving back to a worthy cause – in a fun, hassle-free and transparent manner. The theory that ‘doing good makes you feel good’ is a real motivator and is described as ‘Helper’s High’.
Affordability
In many instances, thrift stores offer premium quality items at half the price. You’ll often find good value for money.
Covid Social Distancing
Consumers tend to be more comfortable shopping in a small, controlled and intimate store, which allows for a quick in and out experience instead of navigating a retail mall with limited ventilation and open space.
Lockdown WFH
The ‘dressing down’ trend that accompanied the move to working from home, particularly when combined with financial implications, has encouraged more thrift shoppers to buy fewer expensive work clothes and look for more comfortable and more affordable alternatives.
The Celebrity Effect
Sarah Jessica Parker, Margot Robbie, Helen Mirren, Shailene Woodley, Winona Ryder, Amal Clooney and even the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, have all been reported to support and wear preloved fashion. Jada Pinkett Smith has also been photographed numerous times over the years with her daughter, Willow, on thrift outings. Aspirational fans notice and are, therefore, influenced by this.
Social Media and ReCommerce (reverse commerce; selling used or previously owned goods)
The majority of thrift shops work on consignment and use Instagram to sell the preloved stock. It’s an effective model to sell items quickly (sometimes within minutes) amongst an anticipative and engaged audience looking for a good deal online.
Individuality
Fashion provides an opportunity for individuality – a desire for differentiation and non-conformity. Thrifting allows shoppers to mix and match items that are no longer universally available, making for greater unique, creative expression. In some instances, clothes have been donated from deceased estates and often these vintage items are one-of-a-kind keepsakes.
Lifestyle
The trendy (quality) consciousness around sustainability that’s highly prevalent in Cape Town and quickly filtering across other avant-garde city centres in South Africa is entrenched as a way of life. The thrift network is thriving online, brought to life through markets and festivals etc. Millennials, predominately in Cape Town, are ‘born’ into this as if it were a religion, while middle-aged consumers are only really learning about it now and moderately embracing this trend.
In South Africa, thrifting has picked up significantly. And while Cape Town currently has the largest pool of thrift shops, founded on the trendy, creative and hipster culture, Johannesburg is hot on the Mother City’s heels.
The concept of preloved will absolutely continue to grow and become more formalised. The surge in the emergent creatives and designers focused on sustainability, reusing fabric, and upcycling garments, bags, and shoes will also garner more public and influencer attention and ultimately lead to a ‘revolution’ of sorts.
Mainstream fashion retailers will need to adapt and respond to this growing market. While many are making efforts to encourage shoppers to return their old fashion items, they will have to authentically demonstrate that that they are truly doing something to align and position themselves to this trend. It might very well be expressed through a preloved collection within their stores.
Finally, as the thrifting/preloved trends continue to flourish and be seen as trendy alternatives to mainstream fashion, it won’t be unusual to see genuine consignment thrift shops established in upmarket malls such as Sandton City and Hyde Park in the near future.
