Depop Resellers Aren't The Enemy - Fast Fashion Is
The criticism of Depop sellers is unfair and distracts us from the real issues plaguing the fashion industry: overconsumption and overproduction
With over 15 million users, the second-hand shopping app Depop has revolutionized Gen Z’s shopping habits since its inception in 2011. In the past few years, the perceived gentrification of the app has turned into a talking point online, with many journalists and social media users slamming the app’s sellers as engaging in unethical practice by increasing demand for second-hand clothing and reselling it at a higher price.
Tab journalist Anna Meeham wrote earlier this year that reselling charity shop finds is ‘bad for the environment, makes it harder for people to shop sustainably, and takes away these clothes from people who might need them’. However, this perspective is incredibly one-sided. American TikToker @goodfair sums up the contradictions nicely in one of her posts, saying ‘so shopping at thrift stores contributes to the gentrification of thrift prices, but I also shouldn’t shop at fast fashion places because they use child labour sweatshops...but I also can’t afford to get all my clothes through high end fashion stores. Did I get that right?’
The culture fed by social media is often fuelled by assumptions that Depop sellers are all rich kids looking to make a quick buck. In reality, it’s impossible that every one of Depop’s 15m users are raking in six figures, and most successful sellers are careful to price responsibly. Ryan Haney (@retroresort) says: ‘I always price my items to what I believe they are worth and cross reference with the market. Consumers may not want to search for hours to find a piece of clothing that they like and will fit, so vintage sellers are providing a convenient service for that kind of consumer’. Jodie Evans-Morgan (@islovintage) adds, ‘Buying second hand clothing online is amazing because you can find something you would never have got in your local’.
Equally, full time sellers have to work for their profits. ‘There’s so much influencing the price that people aren’t even aware of’, says Lucy Parker, whose shop @ldrobe specialises in vintage clothing and has amassed over 17k followers. “The cost of the item, time spent sourcing, petrol or travel fare, the time spent cleaning, styling and photographing the item, Depop’s 10% fee, packaging costs and equipment. I try to price my items reasonably and at a price I feel I would pay for it. I want to provide the opportunity for everyone to access insane clothes at a reasonable price’.
All of the sellers I spoke to were keen to address the criticism surrounding sellers and ethical sourcing. “I think there are certainly steps you can take to ensure you’re thrifting as ethically as possible, for example avoiding sourcing from low income areas and not overpricing your items’, Lucy adds. ‘It’s really important to remember that charity shops are overflowing with stock, even declining donations especially during lockdown. We’re also donating to charity at the same time, which is so important to keep the shops going.’
According to the Depop website, only 10-30% of charity shop donations actually end up on the shop floor, with 73% of clothing produced annually incinerated or sent to landfill. ‘People don’t realise that items that don’t sell when they’re sat in charity shops go directly to landfill,’ says George Wilkins (@georgesgarmsuk). He began reselling when working in a dead-end job and grew his Depop shop into a fully-fledged business. ‘There are also companies that I source from who own landfill businesses, that pick out clothes before they can be destroyed and sell them to sellers such as myself’.
As rent prices and cost of living go up and job prospects for my generation look particularly bleak, selling clothes and accessories online is a quick easy way for us to make a bit of extra money. It’s also a good option for those who don’t work well in the typical workplace. Sophie Metcalfe (@peoplearefishtoo) adds: ‘As an introvert who works best on my own, it was one of the few ways I found I was able to make money, as I really struggled working in the normal 9-5 setting. I absolutely love thrifting and hunting for treasures, it’s now a passion of mine.’
In the past, vintage sellers would also have needed sizeable investments to open a physical shop. Punk pioneer and outspoken environmental activist Vivienne Westwood and her husband Malcom McLaren started out by taking over the boutique Let it Rock in 1974 that sold a mixture of second-hand clothing and reworked designs. The business grew with the punk movement and catapulted Westwood into the household name she is today. In the 21st century, online boutiques are the new storefronts, although Adidas sweaters and Ed Hardy tees have largely replaced gimp masks and latex corsets.
Singling out charity shop shopping as exclusively for those on lower incomes also further segregates those that such critics claim to be protecting. Isn’t it a good thing that charity shop shopping is being seen as entrepreneurial, rather than an indicator of social class? Charity shops are also becoming increasingly aware of Depop as a marketplace and can list items themselves without the 10% fee that applies to other sellers. All charity shops also sell on eBay and have access to online sources.
Equally, just because something is listed on the app at an inflated price doesn’t necessarily mean that it is going to sell. Unlike platforms that charge sellers a small fee to put a listing on the site such as Etsy, Depop is free to list items, and where apps such as Vestiaire Collective put pricing guidelines in place, Depop has no limitations and is essentially a free market. It’s also important to remember that most sellers don’t rely on Depop as a sole income and so can afford to be flexible on price. Jo Preston (@aperture_priority) started testing, fixing and selling her film cameras on Depop to afford to get film developed. Her shop became a passion project to get more people interested in photography as well as allow her to try different cameras. She says ‘Because lots of Depop camera prices are hugely inflated, I undercut them all’.
Unless we completely overhaul the system of modern capitalist value, it’s unfair to single out Depop sellers for an industry wide issue. Instead, the real enemy is fast fashion. When put into context, it’s more a question of what’s worse- recycling charity shop donations that are already in the circular economy, or pushing people to buy from brands who fundamentally create from new and fuel many of the fashion industry’s waste problems? It’s also unfair to single out individual sellers when retailers such as Primark, PrettyLittleThing and New Look have been providing business for largely unregulated overseas factories for decades. These companies also make far bigger profits that go mainly to wealthy shareholders and CEOs.
Fast fashion is popular because it is cheap, quick, easy and is advertised everywhere, particularly in advert breaks of popular shows like Love Island. Marketers aren’t stupid and ultimately are paid to raise sales figures. Every year, 13 items of clothing are produced for every person on the planet, far more clothes than we need, and most of these end up in landfill. When put in this context, discouraging people from using secondhand resale apps like Depop is ridiculous and does more harm than good.
Instead, consider your own shopping habits. If there’s a skirt you really love in Urban Outfitters, chances are that someone else is selling a similar second hand one online at a cheaper price. Depop allows you to easily message sellers and haggle down prices, and eBay is often a treasure trove of second-hand items that many charity shops also sell on. Depop is also far from the only resale app, with Vinted, Mercari and Vestiaire Collective to name a few. The ethical concerns over Depop use may come from a good place, but we as consumers need to lead the change.
Written by Amy Townsend
Amy Townsend is a PR, writer and artist from Basingstoke. Alongside graduating from Leeds University with a shiny new English degree, I have worked in corporate and brand PR for Sainsbury’s and at agencies. When I’m not working, I can often be found painting, with my nose in a book, or trying to crack TikTok’s algorithm with bad DIY videos.