ThredUp Report Finds One-of-a-Kind Beats Brand New for Holiday Gifts, as 62% of Americans Plan to Buy Secondhand
Key Highlights
- ➤62% of Americans plan to buy secondhand during the 2026 holiday season
- ➤55% prefer one-of-a-kind secondhand gifts over brand-new mass-produced versions
- ➤Secondhand shoppers expect to allocate 37% of holiday gift budgets to resale
- ➤ThredUp holiday items sold rose 37% from 2023 to 2025, versus 22% full-year growth
- ➤53% have sold or expect to sell possessions to help fund holiday spending
Expert Statements
James Reinhart, Co-founder and CEO of ThredUp
“For years, a secondhand gift was the budget choice. Now it’s the thoughtful one. People want gifts that feel personal and one-of-a-kind, and secondhand is where they’re finding them.”
Danielle Vermeer, Head of product at ThredUp
“The clothes you’re not wearing can help fund the gifts you’re giving. With Clean Out and Direct Listing, it’s easy to turn pieces you no longer wear into extra holiday cash. There’s something really fun about knowing that what’s sitting in your closet could become someone else’s next great find.”
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ThredUp (NASDAQ: TDUP, LTSE: TDUP), one of the largest online resale platforms for apparel, shoes, and accessories, today released its 2026 Holiday Resale Report. The report finds that 55% of Americans would rather receive a one-of-a-kind, vintage or hard-to-find secondhand gift in excellent condition than a brand-new, mass-produced version, and 62% plan to buy secondhand this season.
Beyond gifting, the report examines how Americans manage the demands of a busier holiday season. People expect more than twice as many social occasions this November and December as in a typical two-month period, and 74% made at least one tradeoff last holiday season, most often going without something for themselves (38%) or spending less on a gift than they wanted.
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