- Pamela Tucker
- Apr 17
- 5 min read
Introduction
With the recent news surrounding the Trump tariffs, many have wondered, and even stated, that increased consumer costs will cause the secondhand fashion and related goods market to boom. As prices for new goods potentially rise, budget-conscious shoppers may increasingly turn to thrift stores, consignment shops, and online platforms like eBay, ThredUp, OfferUp and Vinted. This surge in shoppers could have a significant and positive impact on these businesses.
Furthermore, the luxury fashion market might also witness a rise in pre-loved sales. As high-end brands respond to tariffs by increasing their prices, consumers looking for luxury items may find the secondhand market a more accessible option. We're already seeing evidence of this. For instance, today Hermès announced: "We are going to fully offset the impact of these new duties by increasing our selling prices in the United States from May 1, across all our business lines." This suggests that the cost of new luxury goods is indeed on the rise.
Building on the potential growth of the pre-loved market, I thought it would be useful to provide a few examples of recent company activities. While these initiatives likely predate the tariff issues, it's still valuable to track these developments within the evolving resale landscape.
ThredUp Introduced a New Loyalty Program
ThredUp, known for its widely quoted Annual Resale Report, having issued its 13th such Report in March 2025, launched a new loyalty program. (A few notable points in ThredUp's 2025 Resale Report:"The global secondhand market grew 15% in 2024. Secondhand accounted for 9% of the global apparel spend....The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029, growing 2.7X faster than the overall global apparel market.")
On October 1, 2024, ThredUp discontinued its ThredUp Rewards loyalty program, with all points expiring in early 2025. On April 1, 2025, ThredUp introduced a new rewards program, called ThredUp Insider.
ThredUp Insider has three tiers and each tier has a birthday benefit, in the form of a shopping credit that must be used in one purchase.
Benefits for each tier include:
Star
With a minimum purchase of $89, there is free standard shipping.
Superstar
With an annual spend of $200, there is free standard shipping with a minimum purchase of $49.
One day early access to select sales.
Credit for sending your first Clean Out Bag ($15 per year)
Very Important Thrifter or VIT
With an annual spend of $1,000, there is free standard shipping with a minimum purchase of $39, as well as the Clean Up bag noted above.
Two day early access to select sales.
24 hour early access to newly listed items.
Priority access to customer service. Note: I'm still on the lookout to find out the details what priority access to customer service is all about.
The tier status lasts for the remainder of the current calendar year and the next full calendar year as well.
In a previous post discussing loyalty programs and resale, I noted that while loyalty programs could be a bonus, they are rarely the primary reason shoppers choose a particular resale platform. However, some shoppers might prioritize platforms with loyalty programs. Going forward, it is possible that resale companies experiencing strong growth would need to review their loyalty programs to ensure the influx of new shoppers doesn't negatively impact the experience for existing customers, strain their current systems, or create unforeseen financial burdens due to increased participation.
Faume Raised $9.1 Million for Expanding its Resale Platform
Paris based Faume, a second-hand platform for fashion and luxury brands notes, per a press release: "Since its launch in 2020, the company has enabled the sale of 300,000 secondhand premium fashion pieces, 40% of which were sold outside France" raised $9.1 million to support its European expansion, particularly in the UK and Italy.
Faume has relationships with over 40 brands including Lacoste, Sandro, Isabelle Marant and recently added UK based brands Victoria Beckham and Temperately London. Faume plans to support 150 brands within the next four years. Also, it plans launching its proprietary Dynamic Pricing AI by the end of 2025 to help brands offer more competitive resale prices compared to marketplaces.
Trove Acquired Resale Platform Reverse.Supply
Founded in 2016 and based in San Francisco, Trove's recommerce solutions include returns processing, omnichannel reselling , trade-ins and peer-to-peer selling. Trove's partners include Canada Goose, Patagonia and Eileen Fisher. Trove acquired Reserve.Supply, a German based resale tech provider.
Trove's press release noted: "The acquisition comes at a strategic time as changing European legislation around producer responsibility and right-to-repair creates urgency for brands to establish effective resale, repair, and recycling programs,” said Terry Boyle, CEO of Trove. “ The acquisition boosts its reach, making branded resale accessible for brands across. 30 countries. This looks to be a nice move for Trove, a Certified B Corporation.
Trashie and NBA Launched a Collaboration
Trashie, a recycling and rewards platform teamed up with the NBA for fans to get rid of their unwanted clothes and for that, get rewarded. Rewards include exclusive game day perks and discounts such as 20% off items from sports brands including: '47, $20 off Nike and Fanatics and $10 off select HydraPeak water bottles.
Those seeking to declutter could request the The Trashie Bag, and that for a limited time the bag would be free. (The Trashie Bag usually cost $15 or $20, with a leading reason for the different prices is due to it being promoted.) After the bag, that comes with a free UPS label is loaded up with up to 15 pounds of clothes and shoes and more, and received by Trashie, the discounts would begin and the sender would also have the chance to win tickets to the 2025 NBA draft this June.
Vestiaire Collective Issued a Resale Buying Guide
Vestiaire Collective, with sellers and buyers in 70 countries launched its Resale Buying Guide SS 2025. It is a comprehensive report intended to help shoppers navigate the resale market. The report states "...we've created our inaugural resale buying guide with a focus on finding the best value, no matter you budget."
According to a press release, it includes data covering 400 brands that is used to create the Vestiaire Value Ranking (VVR) a system that weighs three key factors: (1) price accessibility (2) long-term value (3) current desirability. Based on that, it generated a list of the top brands with the best long-term value for different categories. The categories include luxury, designer and premium, which in turn are based on price point, heritage and products offered. This release generated quite a bit of buzz. In fact, Vestiaire Collective's Instagram includes a photo of Vogue's Editor in Chief Anna Wintour holding an orange document titled The Resale Buying Guide SS2025.
Conclusion
So, circling back to the initial thought that with potential price hikes driven by the Trump tariffs, it is possible there will be a a surge in secondhand fashion interest. And the resale market isn't standing still. The recent initiatives from various platforms, while possibly predating the tariff talks, highlight a dynamic and evolving industry. With the developments about ThredUp, Trashie and Vestiaire Collective noted above, how might these tactics influence your platform choice as a buyer or seller in this shifting landscape?
Full Disclosure: The content in my blog is based on my personal opinions and experiences. It is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Research for this post ended on April 17, 2025. All opinions are my own, and I have not received any compensation for writing this post. The image in this post was generated by Gemini AI Pro.