How Depop captured Gen Z fashion – Kat Patterson, St George

The London-based company, founded in 2011 by Simon Beckerman, was recently acquired by Etsy in the summer of 2021 for $1.625 billion. The app has seen exponential growth during lockdown 2020. While there were less than 1 million active users in the UK as of January 2020, by October 2021 there were over 2 million. Ultimately, this is because sustainable fashion and second-hand shopping have become fashionable in 2020, and even those already on the bandwagon have been unable to visit thrift stores or charity shops.

Etsy, now owned by Depop, was founded in 2005 with a similar goal. It was also centered around e-commerce, but catered more to the buying and selling of various items rather than specifically clothing. Even eBay, an Etsy-like company, has seen the success of second-hand clothing shopping among Gen Z and is launching a campaign with the hit TV show Love Island in the summer or 2022. While Love Island has previously sponsored fast-fashion brands such as Boohoo, 2022 has made this significant shift. eBay’s sponsorship focused on “favorite fashion” and encouraged viewers to shop second-hand, playing on Gen Z’s love of eco-friendly fashion. eBay research found that 18- to 34-year-olds have the highest average percentage of used clothing in their wardrobe (22%). Other brands are now starting to evolve in line with the generation’s commitment to sustainability, with PrettyLittleThing and Zara launching second-hand marketplaces in 2022, and Selfridges launching ReSelfridges in 2020.

More than 30 million people have already subscribed to Depop. It proudly states that over 90% of its active users are under the age of 26, indicating its popularity with Gen Z. So why is this? Well, with the effects of fast fashion being talked about more and more, today’s youth are becoming more and more concerned about how they can use sustainable fashion to reduce their carbon footprint and try to reduce their contribution to the climate crisis. According to the Geneva Environmental Network, “about 1% of crude oil production is used to produce synthetic fibers,” and many young people therefore feel the need to switch to more sustainable fashion. An estimated three-quarters of Gen Z consumers say sustainability is more important to them than brand names. Depop allows Gen Z to take care of both; you can still search for the brands you want while still buying quality pre-owned clothing.

All in all, it’s clear that Depop is getting more and more popular and is benefiting from Gen Z’s interest in eco-friendly fashion. Its popularity will continue to grow in the coming years as people continue to move away from fast fashion. Ultimately, Depop has many benefits, encouraging people to buy second-hand and upcycling clothes, enabling some to start small businesses and providing a new way for people to buy clothes from big brands for less; all of which have changed Gen Z’s shopping culture for the better.