Posted by Goodwill Thrift and Resale Shopping Sales Soar to $7 Billion
Thrifty is in. And Millennials and Gen Z are leading the charge. The resale market is growing fast – so much so that estimates say it now accounts for a hefty one third of all clothing sales, and the sector is growing 15 times faster than traditional apparel.
This is good news for thrift stores like Goodwill, the non-profit thrift chain whose name is synonymous with resale. Goodwill watched its sales soar to $7 billion in 2025, and The New York Times reported a 7% increase in sales across Goodwill’s over 3,400 stores. Boasting a nearly 50% surge in revenue since 2019, the organization’s growth indicates a broader shift in the rising popularity of resale, consignment, and thrift shopping.
Goodwill CEO Steven C. Preston told the Times, “We are pretty steady in almost any economic situation. But when things are right, we’re probably more likely to get that foot traffic.”
Founded in 1902 as part of a Methodist ministry in Boston, the organization was led by Edgar J. Helms, a 20th-century “Robin Hood” figure, but without the stealing. Instead, Helms collected donations from the more affluent parts of the city. In small workshops, he trained underserved individuals to restore the items, which were then given to those in need. After sharing this system with a similar shop in Brooklyn called Goodwill Industries, he adopted the name to represent the unified effort.
In the 124 years since, Goodwill has grown to include over 150 international groups that collect nearly six billion pounds of items annually. In his 2024 Report, CEO Preston noted that across the U.S. and Canada, the organization supported over 2.1 million people and “focused on helping them improve their futures.” Beyond online and career center support, many of Goodwill’s 140,000 employees also benefit from internal programs designed to help them overcome personal challenges and transform their lives.
Goodwill also pioneered non-profit e-commerce with the launch of ShopGoodwill.com in 1999. The auction platform generated over $1 billion in sales by early 2021. Today, treasure hunters use the site to find everything from Rolexes and vintage handbags to art, electronics, and rare collectibles.
The broader resale market is keeping pace. Capital One Shopping estimates that 93% of Americans have purchased secondhand items. Another perk beyond the financial savings that appeals to customers is how resale reduces the individual carbon footprint while conserving energy and water.
Capital One Shopping predictions are bullish on achieving annual US growth of 13% in the resale market through the end of the decade, especially as Millennials and Gen Z’ers want to make a community connection while prioritizing value, quality, and sustainability. Many of these same shoppers purchase and resell luxury goods, and the trend shows no signs of slowing.
Read more in the following articles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/business/goodwill-sales-economy.html
https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/thrifting-statistics/