In recent years, trends have moved away from fast fashion and towards greener alternatives, like upcycling or buying clothes second-hand. Apps like Depop and Vinted have made selling spare clothes easier (and more sustainable) than ever, but some people are noticing a worrying pattern emerge. Namely, some customers are buying thrift store clothes in bulk in order to resell them for a higher price.
TikToker Liz (@biggglizzie) broke down why this is problematic in a video which has amassed 383,500 views as of Sunday. “I’ve been sitting on this for a while, and I don’t know if ya’ll are gonna take it well,” she warned in the TikTok’s description.
“It feels ridiculous that I even have to say this but don’t buy clothes in bulk from a thrift store to resell them on Depop,” she began in the clip. “Like, I understand for a lot of people that going to the thrift store, thrifting is just like a cute little quirky thing for, like, girls in high school when you don’t really have a lot of money from your serving job. But [some] people rely on the thrift store for their clothing.”
“Quit f*cking wiping out thrift stores,” she concluded. “They’re not some quirky little wholesale retailer. It’s literally a clothing/home goods store for people with low income. Get a grip Depop girls.”
@biggglizzie i been sittin on this one for a while idk if yall r gonna take it well #depopseller #thrift ♬ original sound – liz
While many agreed with Liz’s sentiments, with one commenter noting how it has led to Goodwill “driving up their prices,” there were also a number of commenters that disagreed, arguing that “thrift stores will never run out of clothes.”
“You should really educate yourself on the thrifting industry and the amount of clothes they throw away every week,” one commenter said. “This is such a class warfare take,” another added.
A third suggested that the issue wasn’t as clear-cut as it seemed in Liz’s video, writing, “The thing is a lot of resellers are in poverty themselves, so the morality of it is blurry. Curating, shopping, and shipping is providing a service.”
It may have sparked a fierce debate, but we don’t see Depop sellers changing anytime soon. Liz didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
