Gen Z Is Killing Traditional Retail — And Upending Thrifting, Too

So far this year, 93% of Americans have bought something secondhand — which leads us to believe that “recommerce” is perhaps more popular now than ever before. That finding (among several others) was revealed in OfferUp’s 2025 Recommerce Report, which was released on Thursday. 

The report defines “recommerce” as “the simple act of buying and selling secondhand to save money, keep good stuff out of landfills, and connect with neighbors along the way.” And Gen Z is leading the way in this movement, which could mean bad news for traditional retail stores.

The OfferUp report found that 54% of Gen Z respondents said they choose to shop secondhand before buying new. That’s more than half the demographic opting out of buying from traditional retail stores, and at a much a higher rate than other generations (millennials: 44%; overall population: 42%).

Gen Z’s consumer impact is already shaping retailers’ shopping-experience strategies, according to NielsenIQ. Per a 2024 Nielsen analysis, retailers in many industries are already rethinking how they market to Gen Z as they continue to become more prominent in the economy: “With Gen Z spending power projected to grow to an estimated $12 trillion by 2030, they will have a significant influence on the products [that] manufacturers and retailers sell in the near future.”

For a while now, it’s been commonplace to fault millennials for “killing” industries, but now it seems that Gen Zers are having their time to be choosy — especially when it comes to shopping trends. 

Even though Gen Z is leading the “recommerce” charge, the majority of Americans from all surveyed demographics believe that shopping secondhand is a great way to save money during uncertain economic times. OfferUp’s findings show that 70% of shoppers say the stigma associated with secondhand shopping has lessened in recent years, and 19% of those surveyed made their first secondhand purchase this year — and this all points to a secondhand economy.

There are so many reasons why Americans are choosing secondhand first, according to the OfferUp report. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said the main draw is to save money, but others said that finding something unique is another huge reason they enjoy browsing pre-owned items. Others said they like to find high-quality brands at a discount, and 12% of Americans reported shopping secondhand to engage in retail boycotts and for other value-related reasons.

With websites and apps being developed specifically for buying and selling pre-owned items, it’s never been easier to find secondhand gems for a steal. And with Gen Z leaning fully into secondhand first, it looks like the “recommerce” economy is only going to get bigger. Check out the full OfferUp 2025 Recommerce Report to see all the findings, and get inspired to hit the thrift.