Boomers had Debenhams; millennials had Zara — but the high street doesn’t cut it for Gen Z’s student wardrobes. Today’s university attendees would rather shop second-hand and are single-handedly driving the pre-owned fashion app revolution. Depop, Vinted and eBay are their shopping platforms of choice — if they are wearing Topshop, you can assume it’s vintage.
It wasn’t so long ago that second-hand shopping still only happened at market vintage stalls and your local Oxfam. That still goes on, but peer-to-peer shopping apps (where consumers buy from and sell to each other) are the nucleus of it now, on which punters scroll virtual rails as they would social media feeds and apply filters to seek out exactly what they need.
They are as essential to Gen Z’s day-to-day as TikTok and Instagram. No surprise, then, that approximately 90% of Depop’s active users are under 26. It says that young consumers are adopting second-hand fashion faster than any other audience. If you need further evidence of just how much of a moment these apps are having, look at the hard numbers: Depop was just bought by the online craft marketplace Etsy for £1.1 billion and Vinted is valued at even more.
Fashion that doesn’t cost the earth
Ask students to pinpoint why and it comes down to three key factors: sustainability, range of products and the age-old student obsession: money. What else, from a generation brought up on a diet of smartphones and Greta Thunberg? Teenagers and young adults now want fashion at their fingertips that doesn’t — literally and figuratively — cost the earth.
It’s not all about being eco-warriors, though. Gen Z, like every other student wave that has come before them, are a thrifty bunch. Not only are they saving money by shopping on these apps, but they are making it too.
“It’s great for gaining entrepreneurial skills,” says college student Lottie, who has been selling clothes with her sisters on Depop for several years. “I love it as you can earn money from clothes that would normally go to landfill.”
Her tips to sellers are to make sure your images are good quality, styling your clothes on a model or yourself, and be realistic on pricing. Vinted also encourages its sellers to name the brands and give detailed descriptions of the items they want to sell, to help with visibility.
