Whether you’re a seasoned second hand clothes shopping pro or considering trying second hand clothing for the first time, from time to time you may find yourself asking the question of ‘Do I buy second hand clothes from a second hand shop or brand new clothes from a brand new retailer?’
In this blog we’re doing a deep dive comparison into shopping second hand clothes versus buying them brand new from the retailer and we will cover the following topics: cost, quality, convenience, choice and the environment so you can discover which option is best for you.
We love love love to encourage choosing a way of shopping that suits your lifestyle, personal values, budget and shopping needs. So, if you’re like me and convenience is key when shopping for second hand clothes, then you may find that a happy medium between brand new and second hand is optimal for you. On the other hand, you may find that shopping second hand for your all of your clothing suits you down to the ground. We’re not here to judge, we’re here to show you an alternative way of shopping for your clothes that you may not have considered until now.
Cost
How much money can you truly save by shopping second hand?
So, let’s get into it and go straight for the jugular. Huge savings on your favourite brands tends to be one of the biggest motivators when choosing second hand clothing over brand new clothing. Because why pay a lot more money for the exact same thing?
Our Sunshine Thrift customers save on average £24.48 per order by choosing to buy their clothing through us, a second hand retailer, instead of direct from the brand new retailer. We price items that are brand new with tags at at least 30% off RRP and items without their original tags are priced at least 50% off RRP.
But you should be aware that the financial savings per item and per order can vary hugely depending on where you buy your second hand clothes, and more importantly, what you’re buying.
Depop reported in 2022 that on average, the user of their online marketplace are saving 25% off RRP per item. The Air Ambulance charity reports that buying ‘nearly new items’ can save you up to 50% off RRP. Where you shop second hand, what brands you prefer, and the condition of the item all affect how much money you will save.
Quality
Are second hand clothes low quality?
Drawing from what we know about the cost savings available for second hand clothing, brands which may have been outside of your budget when buying brand new may now be more financially accessible. This allows you discover higher quality clothing items with a longer lifespan without such a significant financial investment.
A perfect example of this is Levi’s jeans; they’re a household name because of their quality but for some people they’re just that little bit too expensive to buy brand new. Thankfully, second hand Levi’s are available in abundance on online marketplaces, charity shops and second hand retailers.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have lower quality pieces from fast fashion brands such as Primark, Boohoo and Shein. Whilst second hand clothing from these brands are of a lower quality and are less likely to be suitable to be reworn by multiple owners, they are often priced a lot lower.
Convenience
But where and when can I shop second hand?
Deciding whether second hand shopping is more or less convenient than shopping brand new is personal to you. In general, you may find shopping in store much more convenient than shopping online and vice versa.
In a world of Amazon’s and ASOS’, we have high expectations as a consumer, especially when it comes to how easily can we get our hands on what we’re looking for. We’ve grown used to next day delivery and an endless amount of shops to choose from.
Historically, second hand clothes shopping has been less convenient than shopping at brand new retailers because the shopping methods have been limited to charity shops and car boot sales until very recently.
But now, we have entered into a new era of shopping second hand with the rise of online marketplaces and online second hand retailers, such as Sunshine Thrift, who can offer the same (or better) shopping experience as brand new retailers.
Whilst we are still seeing the rise of the online second hand retailers in amongst a jam packed brand new retailers online market, the same cannot be said for the high street. Scarily, in 2023 10,494 retail spaces closed across the UK.
But the trusty charity shops haven’t fallen victim to the never ending high street curse. In fact, in 2023 charity shops we’re reporting an average growth of 3.9% when comparing October – December 2022 to October – December 2023. So, whilst your local high street may be in a decline, we are assured that you will still find at least one local charity shop going strong.
Choice
Will I be able to shop second hand clothes in my style?
A common barrier to shopping second hand clothing, especially in store, is the lack of choice. It is rare to walk into a charity shop, second hand store or a car boot sale and find exactly what you’re looking for in your size. This is in complete contrast to walking into your favourite brand new retailer, whose style matches yours, and who will have multiple of each garment available in your size.
But online marketplaces have the opposite issue to charity shops, there is too much choice! If you enjoy shopping at brand new retailers for the browsing experience and the curated range, then online marketplaces are going to be a struggle for you. Brand new retailers have the advantage of being able to offer curated clothing ranges that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to shop.
Brand new retailers, especially those you find on the high street and the online retailers who fall into the category of ‘fast fashion’ offer new styles constantly and whilst this may appear as having the perfect amount of choice, it’s quite the opposite.
This is where second hand clothes shopping shines the brightest. It allows you to shop last season (or the season before…or the season before that) and unties you from the constraints of fast fashion brands and their mega marketing machines who push new ranges on you as often as every month.
Don’t get us wrong, we love a trend. Like when we see burgundy bags come out at Autumn or the return of leopard print. But, with second hand clothes shopping you can shop current styles like burgundy bags and leopard print as well as styles from previous seasons all the way back to vintage clothing.
This leads us on nicely to one huge benefit of second hand shopping that brand new retailers can’t compete with and that is the choice of shopping methods available. Brand new retailers have a choice of a retail store or a website, maybe in rare cases they will also sell on social media.
In complete contrast, second hand has a wealth of choices available from instore charity shops to car boot sales, to online second hand retailers, to shop by the weight sales, live auctions and online marketplaces. This allows you to explore multiple shopping methods to find which one(s) is/are your absolute favourite.
The environment
How do my shopping habits impact the environment?
The facts can't be ignored. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions and it is estimated that fast fashion emissions will grow 50% by 2030 if the current growth continues.
As a second hand retailer, we know that people are incentivised to shop second hand in different ways; from financial gains to environmental benefits; and recent research has revealed that globally, it is estimated that 24% of consumers choose to shop second hand to help the environment and live a more sustainable life.
Choosing to shop second hand clothing is all about keeping the garments that are already produced away from landfill and increasing their lifespan. They could be reworn by someone else, remade into something else, or recycled correctly through the appropriate channel. Depop estimated in 2022 that on average a garment is worn just 19 times, but once this item is resold through their marketplace it increases to 49 times.
And the environmental benefits are just as positive for items of clothing that have been bought from the brand new retailer but have never been worn, otherwise known as 'new with tags clothing.' Shopping new with tags clothing through a second hand shopping method is a great way to dip your toe into the second hand pond if you are wary of buying pre-worn clothing.
We can’t argue in favour of brand new retailers when discussing the environment, although we do acknowledge there are clothing retailers who focus on producing long lasting clothing that have minimal impact on the environment during the production process. But before choosing a ‘sustainable’ brand to shop with, we would always recommend doing your research into them first.
Final thoughts
If you’ve ever found yourself asking the question ‘should I buy my clothes second hand?’ you’re halfway there. Acknowledging the existence of second hand clothes as an alternative to buying brand new is a huge step in shifting your shopping behaviours.
Whether you choose second-hand clothes or brand-new ones depends on your personal values, priorities and lifestyle. If cost savings are important, second hand clothing offers unbeatable value, allowing you to access high-quality brands at a fraction of the original price. When it comes to quality, pre-worn clothes can often surpass fast fashion in durability, with many items standing the test of time.
However, we’re sad to admit that second hand shopping is lacking in convenience. We need more online second hand retailers, like Sunshine Thrift, and physical stores on the high street that offer an experience that is similar to or even better than what is currently being offered by brand new retailers.
And finally, the environmental benefits of shopping second-hand can't be overstated—reducing textile waste, conserving resources, and lowering your carbon footprint. Ultimately, your choice between second hand and brand new clothing should reflect your budget, values, and preferences, but a balance of both can offer the best of both worlds.
