Most-Purged Holiday Gifts, According to thredUP Data: 2019 Edition
It’s true: thrift stores clean up around the holidays. Every January, thredUP receives a surge of rejected holiday gifts: more never-worn, new-with-tags items are sent to thredUP post-holiday than other times of year. Based on this data, thredUP puts out an annual list of the most “purged” holiday gifts — and the brands with least regret — to help consumers gift smarter.
Top 5 Most-Purged Gifts of 2019
thredUP received a surge of these items with the tags still attached post-holidays — gifter beware!
1. Disney kids t-shirts (+257% new-with-tags increase)
2. Asics sneakers (+199%)
3. New Balance sneakers (+107%)
4. Forever 21 dressy tops (+98%)
5. Nike shorts (+72%)
New Balance Sneakers, $36.99 on thredUP.com ; Forever 21 Blouse, $12.99 on thredUP.com ; Nike Shorts, $6.99 on thredUP.com
Key Takeaways for 2019
Activewear topped this year’s most purged gift list — particularly sneakers. Workout gear is a personal gift, and it’s tough to get the fit right, which is likely why the data shows higher rates of new-with-tags running shoes and active shorts being resold to thredUP in January.
Disney shirts — one of the most common gifts for kids from family and friends — also tops the list. It’s possible these shirts miss the mark in meeting kids’ ever-changing preferences and sizes.
Forever 21 tops are also one of the most purged items — possibly mirroring the fast fashion slowdown as conscious consumers seek out more eco-friendly options.
The 2019 Best Brands to Gift
thredUP analyzed every item received in 2019, and uncovered the brands with the lowest volume of new-with-tags — meaning these brands are likely to be worn and loved, not returned.
Safest Bet: Lululemon
97% of Lululemon items thredUP received in 2019 were without tags. The tried-and-true brand is consistently one of the most popular brands on thredUP, and a gift they’re likely to keep!
Safest Splurge: Prada
96% of Prada items thredUP received in 2019 were without tags. This classic luxury brand is a gift that’s worth the money and it will hold its value — Prada also made thredUP’s list of luxury brands with the best resale value according to their 2019 Resale Report.
Want to give a more sustainable gift they won’t want to resell?
Give #TheGiftofThrift! Give your loved ones the thrill of the find and sustainable style by sending them thredUP’s newly launched digital gift cards. thredUP launched holiday ‘Thrift Cards,’ as part of a new #TheGiftOfThrift campaign, to help consumers give more unique and sustainable gifts.The campaign speaks to the environmental benefits of gifting thrift, along with the fun of the treasure hunt.
As part of the launch, thredUP has set a goal to displace half a million new gifts with thrifted gifts this year — the carbon equivalent of taking 300K cars off the road for a single day.¹
In a survey to consumers who have bought secondhand, 8 in 10 GenZs plan give thrifted gifts this season. 84% of those GenZs plan to replace gifts they would have bought from fast fashion brands like Forever21 and Zara.²
Seeking more holiday insights from the world’s largest resale marketplace? Learn why 1/2 of consumers may gift thrift this year
About thredUP: thredUP is the world’s largest fashion resale platform, inspiring a new generation to think secondhand first. The company has spent the past 10 years reinventing resale, building a marketplace and infrastructure now poised to power the $50B resale economy and usher in a more sustainable fashion future. Millions of consumers use thredUP as the easiest way to sell their clothes and shop over 35,000 brands at up to 90% off — online, in stores or via “try-before-you-buy” Goody Boxes. Backed by world-class investors, thredUP designed a resale engine that has redistributed nearly 100 million unique garments from closets across America and is now powering resale for the broader fashion industry via its Resale-As-A-Service (RAAS) platform.
Sources:
(1) Via GreenStory data: 17.44 lbs of carbon displaced for every item bought used instead of new. 28.44 lbs of carbon displaced for every car taken off the road for one day.
(2) thredUP Holiday 2019 Customer Survey