Key highlights
- 1The Europe secondhand apparel market is expected to reach USD 50 billion by 2036, at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2026 to 2036, driven by sustainability, affordability and regulation.
- 2Resale is scaling fast. Europe's secondhand fashion market is projected to grow from about EUR 15.9 billion in 2024 to EUR 26 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates, as resale outpaces the wider apparel market.
- 3Vinted dominates. Vinted processed EUR 10.8 billion of merchandise in 2025, up about 47%, with revenue up about 38% to EUR 1.1 billion, and was valued at about EUR 8 billion in a 2026 share transaction, leading the market with around 19% share.
- 4Luxury resale is maturing. Vestiaire Collective, with about 12.3% share through its luxury focus and authentication, expected its first annual profit in 2026, over 15 years after its founding.
- 5Younger consumers drive demand. More than 40% of Gen Z prefer buying secondhand over new, and about 62% of shoppers say they would rather buy sustainable where possible.
- 6EU regulation is reshaping the market. From January 2025, member states must run separate textile collection, and the revised Waste Framework Directive, in force from October 2025, introduces the first EU-wide mandatory textile Extended Producer Responsibility, with schemes operational by 2027.
- 7Key companies include Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, Zalando, and Momox.
Report Overview
The Europe secondhand apparel market covers the resale and reuse of used clothing, footwear and accessories, spanning online resale platforms and offline stores and thrift, peer-to-peer, managed resale and consignment, and charity and thrift models, and everyday, luxury and vintage apparel. New apparel and textile recycling into raw materials are outside the scope except as context. Secondhand apparel is used clothing resold or reused rather than discarded. Demand is shaped by sustainability, affordability, younger consumers, and regulation. This report examines the size, drivers, channels, business models, product categories, pricing, country markets, competition, recent developments, and outlook of the market, and provides recommendations. Sizing is built bottom-up from online and offline secondhand sales by channel, model, category and country, and reflects the European market.
Market dynamics
Drivers
- 01Sustainability and circular fashion are a primary driver as reuse extends garment life and reduces the environmental impact of fashion, and about 62% of shoppers say they would rather buy sustainable where possible, making secondhand a mainstream sustainable choice.
- 02Cost-of-living and affordability are a strong driver as secondhand offers clothing at a discount to new, which matters amid pressure on household budgets.
- 03Younger consumers and social commerce are a driver as more than 40% of Gen Z prefer buying secondhand over new, and platforms such as Vinted and Depop combine resale with social and community features.
- 04Textile regulation is a driver as the European Union's requirement for separate textile collection from January 2025 and its first EU-wide mandatory textile Extended Producer Responsibility, under the revised Waste Framework Directive in force from October 2025 with schemes by 2027, increase the supply of used textiles and legitimise reuse.
Opportunities
- 01Brand-operated resale is a leading opportunity as apparel brands and retailers add resale and take-back, as Zalando and H&M's Sellpy do, capturing value and meeting sustainability goals.
- 02Luxury resale and authentication are an opportunity as the resale of premium and luxury apparel, supported by authentication such as Vestiaire Collective's, is a higher-value segment.
- 03Regulation-driven collection and sorting are an opportunity as the EU's separate collection and EPR create flows of used textiles and demand for sorting and reuse capacity.
- 04Online-offline integration is an opportunity as online platforms, charity and thrift stores, and consignment combine.
Trends
- 01Platform scale and consolidation are a defining trend as Vinted has reached large scale, processing EUR 10.8 billion in 2025, and leads a consolidating market.
- 02Profitability milestones are a trend as resale platforms reach profitability, with Vestiaire Collective expecting its first annual profit in 2026 after more than 15 years.
- 03Brand-operated resale is a trend as brands and retailers add resale and take-back.
- 04Regulation reshaping textile flows is a trend as EU separate collection and EPR change how used textiles are collected, sorted and reused.
Report Summary
| Base Year | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Forecast Period | 2026-2036 |
| Market Size (2025) | USD 20 billion |
| Market Size (2026) | USD 21.8 billion |
| Market Size (2036) | USD 50 billion |
| CAGR (Value) | 8.7% (2026-2036) |
| Format | PDF & Excel |
| Segments Covered | By Channel: Online Resale Platforms, Offline Stores & Thrift. By Business Model: Peer-to-Peer, Managed Resale & Consignment, Charity & Thrift. By Product Category; By Country. |
| Geographies Covered | United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic Countries, Benelux, Poland & CEE, and Rest of Europe |
| Key Companies | Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, Zalando, Momox, Sellpy, Wallapop, eBay, Humana, Micolet, Other Companies |
Segmental analysis
By Channel
- Online resale platforms hold the largest share at about 55% of the market in 2026, with offline stores and thrift accounting for the remainder.
- Online resale platforms such as Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, Depop and Wallapop, are the largest and fastest-growing channel because they make buying and selling secondhand easy, social and nationwide, and Vinted alone processed EUR 10.8 billion in 2025.
- Offline stores and thrift including charity shops, vintage stores and consignment, remain a large channel, long established across Europe and supplied increasingly by regulated collection.
The dominance of online platforms reflects the shift to convenient digital resale, while offline stores and thrift remain a substantial and established channel.
By Business Model
- Peer-to-peer holds the largest share at about 50% of the market in 2026, with managed resale and consignment at about 25% and charity and thrift accounting for the remainder.
- Peer-to-peer resale where individuals sell directly to each other on platforms such as Vinted and Wallapop, is the largest model because it has the lowest friction and cost and the broadest participation, and Vinted charges sellers nothing.
- Managed resale and consignment where a service handles selling on the seller's behalf, as Sellpy and Vestiaire Collective do, is a significant model offering convenience and, for luxury, authentication.
- Charity and thrift run by organisations such as Humana and Oxfam, are a substantial model with a social mission.
The dominance of peer-to-peer reflects its low friction and scale, while managed resale and charity serve convenience and social purposes.
By Product Category
- Everyday and mass apparel hold the largest share at about 70% of the market in 2026, with luxury and premium at about 20% and vintage and other accounting for the remainder.
- Everyday and mass apparel the resale of ordinary clothing and footwear, is by far the largest category because it is the bulk of what people own and resell, and the focus of mass platforms such as Vinted.
- Luxury and premium apparel resold with authentication, are a significant and higher-value category led by Vestiaire Collective.
- Vintage and other including curated vintage and designer, are a substantial category with strong appeal to younger consumers.
The dominance of everyday apparel reflects the volume of ordinary clothing, while luxury and vintage add value and appeal.
Geographic analysis
United Kingdom Secondhand Apparel Market
The United Kingdom is one of the largest and most developed markets with a strong resale culture, a large charity-shop sector, and high adoption of online resale through Vinted, Depop, eBay and Vestiaire Collective. The UK is a leading market for both peer-to-peer and luxury resale, with Depop particularly popular among younger consumers, and charity shops long established on high streets. The UK's mature resale culture, strong platforms and charity sector make it a leading market.
Germany Secondhand Apparel Market
Germany is one of the largest markets with high participation, as over 42% of Germans bought secondhand clothing at least once in 2024, and strong platforms including Vinted, Momox and its ubup and medimops brands, Humana, and Zalando's Pre-owned service. Germany combines large-scale online resale, managed services and brand-operated resale with an established collection and charity sector. Germany's high participation and strong platform and brand presence make it a leading market.
France and Southern Europe Secondhand Apparel Market
France is a large market and the home of Vinted's largest audience and of Vestiaire Collective, with strong online resale and luxury resale and a growing secondhand culture. Spain is a fast-growing market led by Wallapop's local peer-to-peer model and by Micolet, and Italy is a growing market for resale and vintage, including luxury. Southern Europe combines fast-growing platforms with strong vintage and luxury segments. France and Southern Europe are large and growing markets with strong platforms and luxury and vintage appeal.
Nordic, Benelux and Central and Eastern Europe Secondhand Apparel Market
The Nordic countries are advanced markets with high sustainability awareness, led by Sellpy, owned by H&M, in Sweden and beyond, and strong secondhand culture. The Benelux countries have strong online and charity resale, and Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Vinted's home market, and the Baltics, are important, with Poland a major base for Vinted and for textile sorting and reuse. These regions combine high sustainability awareness, strong platforms and, in Central and Eastern Europe, a role in sorting and reuse, adding substantial demand across Europe.
Pricing Analysis
Pricing in secondhand apparel reflects the discount to new, the condition and brand, platform fees, and the value proposition of affordability. Secondhand apparel is sold at a discount to new clothing, with price depending on condition, brand and category, and luxury and desirable items commanding higher prices, while platform fees, including buyer-protection and seller fees, and consignment commissions affect the price and economics. Several factors set price and economics. The condition, brand and desirability of an item drive its resale price, with luxury, premium and sought-after items priced higher. The discount to new is central to the value proposition, particularly amid cost-of-living pressure. Platform fees and commissions, such as buyer-protection fees and consignment commissions, affect what buyers pay and sellers receive, and are central to platform monetization, which has been a challenge for peer-to-peer models. Authentication, important for luxury, adds cost and trust.
The trajectory of the market depends on balancing affordability for buyers and value for sellers with platform monetization, and the low prices and convenience that drive volume also constrain platform economics, making fee models and higher-value segments important.
Competitive landscape
The market is served by online resale platforms, brand-operated resale, and charity and thrift organisations. Vinted is the clear leader, processing EUR 10.8 billion in 2025 and valued at about EUR 8 billion, with around 19% share and its peer-to-peer, seller-fee-free model. Vestiaire Collective, with about 12.3% share, leads luxury resale with authentication, and Depop, owned by Etsy, with about 9.8% share, leads social resale among younger users. Zalando offers brand-operated resale through its Pre-owned service, Momox and Sellpy, owned by H&M, offer managed resale, and Wallapop and eBay serve peer-to-peer resale, Wallapop strongly in Spain. Humana, Oxfam and charity organisations run thrift, and Micolet and others serve specific markets.
Competition turns on scale and network, model and fees, category focus and authentication, and brand and trust, and the market combines mass peer-to-peer platforms, luxury and managed services, brand resale, and charity. Scale and network effects favour the leaders, and Vinted dominates mass peer-to-peer resale while Vestiaire leads luxury and Depop leads social resale, with brands and charities adding capacity. The field is consolidating around leading platforms, with brand-operated resale growing, and scale, model, category and trust shape competition, with monetization and regulation the key variables.
Voice of Customer
I buy and sell most of my clothes secondhand now, mainly on Vinted and Depop, because it is cheaper and more sustainable, and it feels normal for my generation rather than a compromise. The apps make it easy and social, and I can refresh my wardrobe affordably, though I pay attention to fees and the condition of what I buy.
Consumer, younger shopper (United Kingdom):
We launched a resale and take-back service because customers increasingly expect circular options and because regulation is pushing us toward extended producer responsibility. Resale builds loyalty and meets sustainability goals, and partnering with managed resale services helps us operate it, though the economics and logistics of handling used garments are challenging.
Sustainability manager, apparel retailer (Germany):
The EU's separate collection and producer-responsibility rules are increasing the volume of used textiles we handle, but much of what is collected is low-quality fast fashion that cannot be resold, so sorting for reuse versus recycling or export is the central challenge. The reuse market is growing, but the quality and economics of what is collected shape how much can actually be resold in Europe.
Director, textile collection and sorting (Central Europe):
Analyst perspective
The Europe secondhand apparel market is a steadily growing market that has moved from the margins to the mainstream of fashion, and one where strong structural demand meets real challenges of economics and supply. Secondhand fashion is now a mainstream choice, driven by sustainability, with about 62% of shoppers preferring sustainable options, by affordability amid cost-of-living pressure, and by younger consumers, with more than 40% of Gen Z preferring secondhand, and the European resale market is projected to grow from about EUR 15.9 billion in 2024 toward EUR 26 billion by 2030. Vinted leads at scale, processing EUR 10.8 billion in 2025 and valued at about EUR 8 billion, with Vestiaire Collective leading luxury and Depop leading social resale, and new EU textile regulation, including separate collection and mandatory producer responsibility, is reshaping how used clothing flows. The structural drivers support steady growth.
The honest considerations are monetization, regulation and tax, supply quality, and measurement. The economics of resale are hard, particularly for peer-to-peer platforms, which have thin take rates and have taken years to reach profitability, as Vestiaire Collective's first profit after more than 15 years and Vinted's recent scaling show, so the low prices and convenience that drive volume also constrain platform economics, and monetization through fees must be balanced against the affordability that drives the market. Regulation and tax are double-edged, as EU producer-responsibility rules support reuse but add cost, and seller-income reporting rules under EU tax measures could deter casual sellers who supply peer-to-peer platforms. Supply quality is a real constraint, as a large share of collected clothing is low-quality fast fashion that cannot be resold and is exported or wasted, tempering the circularity benefit and limiting resalable supply in Europe. Measurement is difficult, as much secondhand activity is informal, charity-based or cross-border, so the market's size is uncertain. The market should be assessed on platform monetization, the effect of regulation and tax, supply quality, and the balance of affordability and economics rather than on the growth narrative alone, and sustainability, affordability, younger consumers and regulation support steady growth, with monetization, regulation, supply quality and measurement the key variables.
Key Strategic Developments
- January 2025: EU member states became required to run separate textile collection systems, increasing the collection of used textiles for reuse and recycling.
- October 2025: The revised EU Waste Framework Directive entered into force, introducing the first EU-wide mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility for textiles and footwear, with schemes to be operational by 2027.
- 2025: Vinted processed EUR 10.8 billion of merchandise, up about 47%, with revenue up about 38% to EUR 1.1 billion, and was valued at about EUR 8 billion in a 2026 share transaction.
- 2026: Vestiaire Collective expected to report its first annual profit, more than 15 years after its founding, reflecting the maturing of luxury resale.
- 2024-2026: Brand-operated resale expanded, with Zalando's Pre-owned service, H&M's Sellpy and others growing, as brands added circular options.
Strategic Recommendations
For resale platforms and services
The priority is to build scale and sustainable monetization while preserving affordability, because network effects and low friction drive the market but economics are hard, and the platforms that balance volume with viable fee models and higher-value segments will lead. Companies should build scale and network effects, develop fee and value models that monetize without deterring sellers and buyers, invest in luxury and authentication for higher value, and prepare for regulation and seller-reporting rules. Partnering with brands on resale and with collectors on supply strengthens the position.
For brands and retailers
The recommendation is to offer resale and take-back to meet customer expectations and regulation, using managed services where helpful. For collectors and sorters, improving sorting for reuse and addressing low-quality supply are central as regulation increases volumes. For policymakers, producer responsibility and clear rules support reuse, while tax and reporting rules should avoid discouraging casual resale. For investors, this is a steadily growing market to evaluate on platform monetization, regulation and tax, supply quality, and the balance of affordability and economics rather than on the growth narrative alone, recognising that sustainability, affordability, younger consumers and regulation support growth while monetization, regulation, supply quality and measurement are the key variables.
Sustainability impact
Extending Garment Life and Reducing Waste
Secondhand apparel extends the life of clothing, reducing textile waste and the demand for new production. This market supports circular fashion.
By reselling and reusing clothing rather than discarding it, the secondhand market extends garment life, reduces textile waste, and displaces some demand for new production, lowering the environmental impact of fashion, one of the most resource-intensive consumer sectors.
Supporting the Circular Economy and Regulation
Secondhand apparel supports the circular economy and the goals of EU textile regulation. This market supports policy goals.
By keeping clothing in use, the secondhand market supports the circular-economy goals behind the EU's separate collection and producer-responsibility rules, and the growth of reuse is central to reducing the waste and emissions of the textile sector.
Affordable and Accessible Clothing
Secondhand apparel provides affordable clothing and supports social and charity missions. This market supports accessibility and social value.
By offering clothing at lower prices, the secondhand market makes apparel more affordable, and charity and thrift channels support social missions and provide clothing to those in need, adding social value alongside the environmental benefit.
The Limits of Reuse and Supply Quality
The sustainability benefit depends on the quality of supply, as much collected clothing is low-quality fast fashion that cannot be reused. This market faces real limits.
By depending on resalable supply, the market's benefit is limited by the large share of collected clothing that is low-quality fast fashion and cannot be reused, often being exported or wasted, so addressing the quality and durability of clothing at source is central to the true sustainability of the system.
Table of contents
14 chapters · 217 pages · click to expandFrequently asked questions
The Europe secondhand apparel market was valued at USD 20 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 50 billion by 2036, growing from USD 21.8 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2026 to 2036, driven by sustainability, affordability and regulation.