ThredUp Report Reveals 40% of Holiday Budgets Will Go to Secondhand Gifts

October 16, 2025 at 09:15 AM EDT

ThredUp (Nasdaq: TDUP, LTSE: TDUP), one of the largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories, today released its 2025 Holiday Report. The study, conducted by GlobalData and surveying 2,000 consumers, reveals that despite economic uncertainty, holiday spending remains resilient, with a major shift to circular shopping: consumers plan to dedicate nearly 40% of their total holiday budgets to secondhand gifts, up from the 30% they typically spend on resale in their everyday shopping.

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“While the macroeconomic picture remains unclear, consumers aren't stopping their holiday traditions—they're just getting more strategic on how they participate. They're seeking the most value, and that path is increasingly through resale,” said James Reinhart, CEO and Cofounder of ThredUp. “This holiday season proves consumers are incredibly financially savvy. Close to half of all shoppers are turning old items into cash they can use for holiday gifts. This circular strategy is becoming a major part of how they fund their holiday spending.”

Key Takeaways from ThredUp’s 2025 Holiday Report:

Circular Gifting is Driving Holiday Spending.

Consumers plan to allocate nearly 40% of their total holiday budgets to secondhand gifts.
Over half of shoppers (52%) are more likely to focus on getting more items for less money this year.
To maximize value, 51% of shoppers plan to strategically spend by starting to shop earlier.

Secondhand is Becoming a Preferred Gift.

Nearly 66% of all consumers are open to giving secondhand gifts, a figure that jumps to 80% for Millennials.
The top reasons for turning to resale are saving money/better value (62%) and finding unique, one-of-a-kind items (56%).

Shoppers Plan to Fund Gifts by Tapping Their Closets.

Nearly 47% of respondents plan to or are considering selling their own items (e.g., apparel, electronics, luxury goods) to help pay for gifts.
This trend is overwhelmingly common among younger generations: Millennials (70%) and Gen Z (57%) are most likely to embrace this strategy.

Apparel, Accessories, and Nostalgia Lead Gifting Categories.

The top secondhand categories shoppers are considering buying as gifts this year are:
- Accessories (e.g., handbags, jewelry, scarves): 40%
- Women's Apparel (e.g., coats, knits, denim): 36%
- Vintage items (across apparel, accessories, and home): 31%

“Secondhand gifting isn't just about saving money; it's emotional. It allows you to find something truly unique or nostalgic that carries a story, which often means more to someone than a brand-new item,” explains Kristen Brophy, Senior Vice President of Marketing at ThredUp. “Consumers are finding that the best gift doesn't have to be new, it just has to be special.”

To access the report and review the data and resale trends shaping the holiday season, download ThredUp’s 2025 Holiday Report here.

About ThredUp

ThredUp is transforming resale with technology and a mission to inspire the world to think secondhand first, embracing the idea that the past is the future, and the future starts today. By making it easy to buy and sell secondhand, ThredUp has become one of the world's largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories. Sellers love ThredUp because we make it easy to clean out their closets while doing good for the planet. Buyers love shopping value, premium, and luxury brands all in one place, at up to 90% off estimated retail price. Our proprietary digital and operations technology are the foundation for our managed marketplace and consists of distributed processing infrastructure, proprietary software and systems, and data science expertise. With ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service, some of the world's leading brands and retailers are leveraging our platform to deliver customizable, scalable resale experiences to their customers. ThredUp has processed over 250 million unique secondhand items from 60,000 brands across 100 categories. By extending the life cycle of clothing, ThredUp is changing the way consumers shop and ushering in a more sustainable future for the fashion industry—a future where the future of fashion feels good.