OfferUp’s new 2025 Recommerce Report reveals that 93 percent of Americans bought pre-owned goods and 54 percent sold. Gen Z leads the shift, local transactions deepen community ties, and the full recommerce market is primed for explosive growth.
OfferUp has released its 2025 Recommerce Report, created in partnership with GlobalData, and the headline numbers are hard to ignore: 93 percent of Americans say they purchased a secondhand item in the past year, while 54 percent sold one. The report expands the lens beyond apparel, presenting a comprehensive snapshot of the multi-category resale economy.
“The message is clear,” says Todd Dunlap, OfferUp’s CEO, “buying and selling secondhand has become second nature.”
According to the report, the U.S. recommerce market is projected to grow 34 percent by 2030, reaching $306.5 billion and comprising eight percent of total retail spending. Those figures position resale as a lasting structural feature of consumer behavior, not a passing fad.
Independent analyses support the same trajectory. A recent industry study forecasts an 11.2 percent annual growth rate through 2025, with the U.S. recommerce market expected to hit $64.29 billion before climbing toward $91.97 billion by 2029. On a global scale, Fact.MR projects recommerce could surge to $2.087 trillion by 2035, growing at a 14.8 percent annual rate from 2025 onward.
The scale of recommerce growth
Apparel, while prominent in resale conversations, represents only 25 percent of the overall market. Furniture, electronics, sporting goods, and tools make up the bulk of activity in what has become a $200 billion-plus recommerce ecosystem. The study underscores how secondhand shopping has shifted from a marginal activity into a mainstream habit, reshaping the U.S. retail economy.
Economic uncertainty is also accelerating adoption. OfferUp found that 69 percent of Americans are more likely to buy or sell secondhand during downturns. Value remains the primary motivation: 79 percent say saving money is their main driver. But uniqueness and access to premium goods also matter, with 54 percent seeking distinctive items and 34 percent turning to resale for high-quality brands at lower prices.
For sellers, recommerce represents meaningful income. Fifty-seven percent use their earnings to cover everyday bills, 38 percent use them for family or personal treats, and 28 percent set funds aside for long-term goals. These transactions often happen locally, reinforcing the link between recommerce and community economics.
Stigma is also receding. Seventy percent of respondents say negative perceptions of secondhand have declined over the past year. Contributing factors include sustainability and waste reduction (56 percent), the joy of sharing finds with friends or family (53 percent), and the convenience of mobile platforms (49 percent).
Gen Z and the local future of resale
Gen Z has emerged as the key driver of recommerce’s future. Nearly half (49 percent) sold a pre-owned item for the first time last year, and 54 percent say they opt for secondhand when possible, outpacing Millennials at 44 percent. One in three Gen Z sellers report earning between $301 and $500 annually from resale, signaling how secondhand sales function as both practical income and cultural expression.
The generation’s preference for in-person exchange is particularly noteworthy. Seventy-five percent of Gen Z say they enjoy meeting face-to-face to complete transactions, compared to 59 percent of shoppers overall. Many prefer neighborhood sellers over national chains, framing resale as both digital and hyperlocal.
“Resale is smart, but it’s also personal,” Dunlap says. And for Gen Z especially, it’s a way of life. “They’re not only fueling the growth of recommerce, they’re redefining it as something intentionally social and deeply rooted in community.”
The report found that 62 percent of shoppers across all ages prefer to transact within their communities, citing better deals, reduced risk, and skipping shipping costs. For OfferUp, local transactions are not simply logistics; they are central to its identity.
This emphasis on neighborhood-based buying and selling illustrates how recommerce functions as infrastructure: enabling affordability, sustainability, and community connection all at once. “It’s a local handshake, a shared story, a neighbor helping a neighbor,” Dunlap says.
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