Everyone's shopping secondhand. Here's what changed.

58% (!) look for second hand before they look for new fashion.

Hi,

There’s one stat from ThredUp’s 2026 Resale Report that we can’t stop thinking about.

58 percent of Gen Z check secondhand before they even look at new.
It’s not a niche thing. It’s just how a whole generation actually shops.

And the reason isn’t always what you might expect. Sure, prices play a role – 72 percent say rising costs are affecting how they spend on clothes. But just as often it’s something else: the hunt for the right piece, access to brands that would otherwise be out of reach, and the feeling of making a considered choice rather than an impulse buy.

The value of the wardrobe
60 percent of consumers now factor in resale value when buying something new.
The wardrobe has become something worth thinking about as an investment.

Found, not searched for
What's also changing is how we discover things. 46 percent of all secondhand discovery now happens outside traditional resale platforms – through social feeds, creators, and physical browsing. The algorithm introduces you to a brand you didn't know you were looking for. A comment in a feed leads to a purchase. A curated edit surfaces something you immediately need.

Think about how you shop in a physical store. There’s no search bar. You walk around, you touch things, you get drawn to something you weren’t looking for.

That’s the experience that’s been missing from online secondhand – and it’s exactly what Ancora is built around. Browsing, not searching.

Come explore. We restock the collection daily.

/Carin
carin@ancoraedit.com

Explore the edit at Ancora.