MONTCLAIR — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is incorporating secondhand apparel pricing into its consumer price tracking metrics. This change reflects the expansion of the secondhand apparel market in the U.S., which reached an approximate value of $56 billion, doubling its size from 2020 to 2025.
Transactions for secondhand apparel increased by 22 percent compared to the previous year. Visits to thrift stores increased by more than 25 percent between late 2022 and late 2025, while visits to traditional apparel retailers decreased during the same period. Sarah A. Van Giezen, an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, said, "The reuse and recycling of clothing has expanded into a thriving and growing market in recent years because of consumer concerns over clothing costs and environmental sustainability, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic." Van Giezen also said, "The secondhand apparel market has also evolved, improving quality control and allowing consistent item comparability from month to month."
Taylor Bowley, an economist at Bank of America Institute, said, "Secondhand fashion is booming, and that’s for I would say three key reasons: value, variety and also sustainability." Sixty-two percent of Generation Z consumers purchased secondhand clothing during the previous year. Marco Alvarado, the store manager at 2nd Street Montclair, said, "It’s affordable, people are able to express themselves, and people are able to find things that usually they don’t get in a mall or get to find in fast-fashion brands like H&M and Zara."
Apparel prices increased by 4.2 percent during the twelve months ending in April. Overall consumer prices increased by 25 percent over a five-year period. The rate of price increases has exceeded wage growth for the first time since 2023. The retail chain 2nd Street operates locations in more than twelve U.S. states, including Montclair, New Jersey, offering items such as blazers priced at $5.90 and designer bags priced in the thousands.