Why 2 in 3 are turning to thrifting regularly

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

MORE THAN 10 YEARS AFTER MACKLEMORE AND RYAN LEWIS’ ICONIC ‘THRIFT SHOP’ SONG MADE GRAMMY HISTORY, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS TWO-THIRDS (66%) OF AMERICANS ARE TURNING TO THRIFTING ON A REGULAR BASIS TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGETS THESE DAYS. 

ACCORDING TO THE DATA FROM MERCARI FOR NATIONAL THRIFTING DAY ON AUGUST 17TH, NEARLY ONE IN SIX (17%) ARE THRIFTING AS OFTEN AS ONCE PER WEEK, WITH GEN Z SECONDHAND SHOPPING MORE EACH WEEK (28%) THAN OTHER GENERATIONS.  

AND THRIFTING IN 2025 ISN’T JUST A BRICK-AND-MORTAR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE, SINCE THE STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, FOUND THAT ALMOST ONE IN FOUR THRIFT SHOPPERS (22%) LIKE TO DO SO ONLINE.

AND MORE THAN A QUARTER (26%) SAY THEY HAVE PICKED UP SECONDHAND SHOPPING IN THE LAST YEAR.

WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO GO THRIFTING? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

AMERICANS’ BEST THRIFT WINS

• “One of my favorite things I’ve thrifted is a vintage leather jacket that looks timeless and high-quality. I estimate it originally cost around $300 new, but I found it for just $40. It’s become a staple piece I love wearing!”
• “It was a copy of my favorite book that I then gave to a friend. [It] wasn't valuable, but I wanted her to have a copy.”
• “Probably a video game that was rare. I gave $25 for it.”
• “My most recent favorite find was a 1974 Expo '74 decorative plate. It went well with my collection.”
• “One thing I found was an old Schwinn bicycle that was the exact same as [the one] I rode when I was a kid, and I bought it for $10. Restored, it's worth a decent amount of money.”
• “I bought a designer jacket for $34 that would have cost over $200 brand new. It was in perfect condition.”
• “Sets of tools that I bought for $40 that would normally cost over $200 brand new.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Mercari and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 24 and July 29, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.