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Vinted sales surging as Gen Z continues to thrift

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Brighton, UK
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Second-hand shopping has boomed amongst younger generations, and platforms like Vinted are reaping the rewards. 

It’s no secret that vintage fashion is on the rise. Whether it’s retro-inspired silhouettes on the runways, or an affinity for individual style to rival trend culture, we’re increasingly turning to pre-loved pieces.

The growth of second-hand shopping has been particularly prevalent amongst Gen Z, a demographic that has grown up against a backdrop of environmental disaster and algorithm-driven aesthetics.

Fashion, as a result, has become a problem to be solved. Young people are more aware than ever of the impacts that fast-fashion has on the planet, and they’re growing tired of the hegemony churned out by rapid trend cycles.

It turns out the numbers back this up. Vinted, one of the biggest vintage shopping apps on the market, reported a whopping €1.1bn in revenue this week. The company also saw €65m in profit in 2025.

Years after it was founded in 2008, the online marketplace emerged in the shadow of Depop in 2019. It’s now valued at €8bn. Once dedicated solely to the buying and selling of fashion items, the app has also expanded to include household goods like furniture and books.

The Vinted business model is particularly attractive for users as it charges sellers zero commission, as well as partnering with couriers like inPost to allow for seamless delivery.

Vinted’s CEO Thomas Plantenga said that structural shifts and a ‘relentless focus on cost efficiency’ also helped push the needle on company profits in the past year.

‘A disciplined approach to geo and category expansion, led to fast growth of the marketplace. Next to that we made advances in shipping and payments that lay a foundation to maximize the value to members at the lowest possible cost.’

This success makes it clear that second-hand shopping is no passing fad. With consumers facing mounting financial pressures and sustainability concerns rising, platforms like Vinted can only hope to grow. And that can only mean good things for the planet.

The fashion industry is currently one of the most destructive, with 85% of textile waste sent to landfill. Fast fashion often uses synthetic fibres like polyester, which take hundreds of years to decompose and contribute to 10% of global carbon emissions when incinerated.

Producing new garments, rather than reusing or recycling old ones, consumes massive amounts of water and energy.

As platforms like Vinted continue to grow, it sends the message that second-hand shopping is not only trendy, but lucrative.

Perhaps even more interesting? The way Gen Z is reframing this style of purchasing. For them, it’s not just a means to an end but a market of taste. To shop second-hand well is to signal discernment, and an ability to curate rather than simply consume.

When the same micro-trends are pushed globally at algorithmic speed, personal style risks becoming indistinguishable from the feed. Resale platforms are a way to opt out of this homogeneity.

Gen Z’s relationship with consumption is increasingly shaped by contradiction. This is a generation that still participates in trend cycles, but does so with a heightened awareness of the consequences.

There’s also the digital element of apps like Vinted, which have consolidated the thrill of the find (once relegated to charity shops and thrift stores) with the addictive interfaces of social media.

The rise of resale has not dismantled fast fashion; in many ways, it exists alongside it. Some users treat platforms like Vinted as an extension of their wardrobes’ turnover. But still, the environmental benefits are undeniable.

Extending the life cycle of garments, even by a matter of months, can significantly reduce their carbon and water footprints. According to environmental estimates, keeping clothes in use for longer is one of the most effective ways to reduce fashion’s impact, cutting down on the demand for new production and the resources that come with it.

In that sense, Vinted’s €1.1bn revenue reflects a wider shift in how value is perceived. Clothes are increasingly seen as assets with resale potential, longevity and narrative – rather than static purchases.

Regardless of their motives, it’s clear that Gen Z isn’t happy to inherit the fashion industry that’s framed Western capitalist systems over the past several decades. They’re rewriting the rules, one second-hand purchase at a time.

Enjoyed this? Click here for more Gen Z focused style stories.

Senior Remote Writer Brighton, UK

I’m Flo, (She/Her) a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I recently completed a Masters in Visual Anthropology, and seek to interrogate the ways digital spaces can amplify marginalised voices in the arts and cultural sectors. Follow me on LinkedIn or ping me some feedback via email.

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