GlobalData surveyed 2,123 US adults between 4 and 18 September 2026 for ThredUp. The sample was nationally representative by age, gender, location and income.
The results show a majority of consumers will choose secondhand gifts this holiday season, with 62% of those surveyed sharing they plan to purchase secondhand gifts.
Consumers also said they would prefer to receive secondhand gifts, with 55% stating they would rather receive a unique, vintage, or hard-to-find pre-owned gift in excellent condition over a new, mass-produced alternative.
Those planning to buy resale goods expect to allocate an average of 37% of their gift budget to secondhand purchases. That figure rises to 45% among millennials.
ThredUp’s data also suggests that resale is being used to extend gift lists, with 30% of respondents saying secondhand purchases would help them buy for more people, up from 23% in 2025.
Uniqueness was valued almost as highly as price savings among respondents considering second-hand gifts. Millennials ranked uniqueness as the most important factor. Overall, 84% said they would like a gift as much or more after learning it was pre-owned.
The report also identifies pressure on household spending during the festive period. Respondents expected more than twice as many social occasions in November and December as during a typical two-month period, while 74% said they had made at least one trade-off during the previous holiday season.
The most common compromises were going without something for themselves, reported by 38%, and spending less on a gift than they had intended.
ThredUp co-founder and chief executive James Reinhart said: “For years, a second-hand gift was the budget choice. Now it’s the thoughtful one. People want gifts that feel personal and one-of-a-kind, and second-hand is where they’re finding them.”
ThredUp said its holiday sales had grown faster than its full-year sales over the past two seasons. The number of holiday items sold rose 37% between 2023 and 2025, compared with 22% growth across the full year.
Resale is also being used by consumers to generate money for seasonal spending. Some 53% of respondents said they had sold, or expected to sell, items they owned to help fund the holidays. The proportion rose to 66% among Generation Z and 69% among millennials.
According to ThredUp marketplace data, handbags from Tory Burch, Coach and Longchamp, along with occasionwear and contemporary labels including DÔEN, Veronica Beard and Ulla Johnson, were among the higher-earning categories on its Direct Listing service.
