Over 90% of Canadian consumers engage with thrift stores

“Our data clearly shows that Canadians’ attitudes and interests towards thrifting are changing how people shop,” said Nicole McPherson, vice president of Canada field operations, Value Village. “With more than 40 per cent of Gen Z thrifting, we expect momentum and trends in the industry to continue. The change is driven by a number of factors including economic, environmental and social benefits.”

The survey confirms that secondhand shopping is growing in popularity across all age groups and demographics, making it clear that thrift is reshaping the retail landscape. 90 per cent of Canadian consumers have engaged with a thrift store through shopping, donating, or both (up from 83 per cent in 2022); nearly one in three have thrifted in the past year alone, and more than 40 per cent of Gen Z are thrifters.

In-person thrift store experiences continue to dominate. Secondhand shoppers report spending 6.8 times more at brick-and-mortar thrift stores compared to online resale. Eighty-three cents of every dollar they spend on pre-owned apparel is spent in-store, according to the report.

More than 3 in 10 consumers said that secondhand clothing makes up more than a quarter of their wardrobe, and nearly 40 per cent of thrifters purchase secondhand clothing at least once per month. Gen Z consumers rely on secondhand clothing even more – six in 10 said more than a quarter of their wardrobe is secondhand.

Thrifting extends beyond apparel. Canadian consumers shop many secondhand categories beyond apparel, with more than eight in 10 having bought at least one non-apparel category.

“Thrift, a once-niche retail segment, is having a major cultural moment,” said Value Village chief executive officer Mark Walsh. “It is incredibly encouraging to see shoppers of all ages, and particularly younger generations, embrace the secondhand economy. This is the kind of mentality that is going to start to truly make a difference in embedding a reuse mindset in our global culture.”

Drivers behind the popularity of thrift go beyond the historic draws of thrifting; while wallet-friendly prices and eco-friendly satisfaction continue to factor into shoppers’ decisions, there are several broader cultural trends contributing to the gain in momentum around thrifting.

There is an emphasis being placed on unique style. Six in 10 respondents like owning unique, one-of-a-kind items. More than one in three thrift shoppers say that secondhand is more stylish than new clothing.

Citing the enjoyment of shared experiences with friends and family, more than 40 per cent of thrifters said they consider thrift shopping a social activity that they like to do with others. Nearly eight in 10 thrifters say they spend more than 30 minutes in a store when thrifting.

The mission of Value Village  is to champion reuse and inspire a future where secondhand is second nature. The company has found a reuse for over 3.2 billion pounds of reusable clothing and housewares over the last five years, while also generating $580 million in revenue for its non-profit partners’ vital community programmes and services.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)