A recent survey revealed that 64% of American adults are willing to consider buying second-hand clothing, with T-shirts, sweaters, and jackets being the most popular choices. However, when it comes to items like shoes, children’s clothing, and pajamas, there are fewer people willing to spend money. Interestingly, higher-income Americans show a particular interest in second-hand designer and vintage clothing.
According to the market research company YouGov, the survey released on Monday, October 19th, indicates that there is a significant potential market for second-hand clothing in the United States, but consumers have varying levels of acceptance towards different types of garments.
The survey found that 57% of American adults are open to purchasing second-hand shirts, T-shirts, and sweaters, while 55% are willing to buy second-hand coats and jackets. Additionally, 52% are accepting of second-hand jeans, trousers, and skirts.
However, the willingness to buy decreases significantly for shoes, with only 28% showing interest. The acceptance rate for sportswear is 27%, and for children’s clothing, it is only 20%. Pajamas and loungewear have the lowest willingness to purchase second-hand at just 16% among the listed clothing categories in the survey.
Buying second-hand clothing is not just about saving money. The survey revealed that higher-income Americans have a greater interest in second-hand designer and vintage clothing compared to those with middle or lower incomes.
Among high-income respondents, 42% are willing to purchase second-hand designer or vintage clothing, while the numbers drop to 34% for middle-income earners and 27% for those with low incomes.
Furthermore, 52% of high-income respondents are willing to visit stores that specifically sell second-hand or vintage clothing, compared to 34% of those with lower incomes.
However, lower-income consumers still show a relatively high acceptance rate for regular second-hand clothing.
Where do Americans prefer to shop for second-hand clothing? Surprisingly, it’s not online platforms but traditional thrift stores.
The survey shows that 61% of respondents are willing to visit thrift stores or charitable shops, 39% are interested in second-hand or vintage clothing specialty stores, and 29% are open to buying directly from clothing brand-operated second-hand platforms.
As for online shopping, 27% are willing to use platforms like Vinted, Depop for second-hand clothing transactions, while 24% are open to purchasing through comprehensive trading platforms like eBay.
Second-hand clothing from department stores and large retailers are not as popular. Only 22% of respondents are willing to buy second-hand clothes from department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom, while just 13% are interested in purchasing from large retailers such as Walmart and Target.
This survey was conducted by YouGov on October 1st, interviewing 1,000 American adults. The results were weighted by demographic characteristics and released on October 19th.