Shoppers increasingly meet brands for the first time on resale platforms, and what they find there shapes later purchases at full price. This whitepaper explains how fashion and luxury companies can turn that activity into usable insight.
For years, many brands treated resale as something to ignore, tolerate or hand to a third party. That view no longer holds. U.S. secondhand apparel is growing at around 7% a year, four times faster than the broader clothing sector, and shoppers use it to explore labels they aspire to before buying them new. A wide body of independent research points to the same conclusion: the secondary market has become an early, honest indicator of demand and cultural relevance, and most companies are not yet equipped to interpret it.
How resale drives brand discovery
Roughly 80% of Gen Z shoppers say they first discovered a brand through resale, compared with two thirds of consumers overall. Around six in ten American adults already buy secondhand, and the two youngest adult generations are expected to drive about 70% of the category’s growth through 2030.
The gap between awareness and action
94% of retail executives surveyed know secondhand buying is growing, yet most are unsure how to proceed, citing a fragmented landscape of platforms with no shared data. The research groups companies into four brand profiles, each needing a different response depending on how well its products hold value and how visible its secondary market is.
Why watches and jewelry deserve a closer look
Watches and fine jewelry represent around three quarters of U.S. secondhand value, despite a much smaller share of items sold. In one case example, about 80% of a sterling silver bracelet’s resale price came from brand and design premium rather than metal, showing how much depends on the maker’s name.
Who should read it
Recommended for
Executives responsible for strategy, merchandising, sustainability and e-commerce in fashion, footwear and luxury, and anyone asked to decide who should own resale inside the business.
Research base
About the research
Built on research by NYU Stern Luxury & Retail MBA 2027 candidates, spanning mid-market apparel, streetwear, sneakers and fine jewelry across the U.S.
