Over the last three years, sustainable fashion marketplace Depop has been on the rise, with its number of users doubling in the previous six months. However, the shop seems to be contradicting its sustainable initiative through the unreasonable prices that users are charging for second-hand clothing. Allowing one to pose the question, is it ethical to raise the prices of second-hand clothing, taking away low-income individuals' only way to purchase affordable clothing?
The majority of sustainability advocates have been caught guilty of supporting Depop; I, for one, have. The app itself makes sustainable shopping more accessible for all, but ut at what cost? Many individuals, including former Depop seller Alli Vera, have recently called out the app for "gentrifying thrift stores." Vera was one of the app's most prominent sellers, with over 83,000 followers, while earning around 25,000 dollars in sales. Vera, like many others, has said that the app is making shopping for sustainable clothing unaffordable for those who need it most through its crazy high prices.
However, with that said, TikTok is also partially to blame as it has raised the demand for thrifted clothing. Thrift stores are selling out of clothing more than they are retaining it, and the popular social media app has played a large part in thrifting "blowing up." The demand for brands such as Dickies, Levis, and Von Dutch has been through the roof, allowing sellers on Depop to make a fortune through reselling items they purchased for around $13 dollars at prices over $100. Can the app be blamed for the demand for the items?
I think that the demand for thrifted items will not decrease and I would rather people pay an overpriced amount for sustainable clothing. However, as more brands are moving towards becoming fully sustainable, such as Patagonia, utilizing your money at brands such as this allows for lower-income individuals to continue to utilize thrift stores. By supporting creators that are buying cheap items at thrift stores and reselling them on Depop, you are inadvertently contributing to the rise in clothing prices and are partially to blame for low-income individuals being unable to afford thrifted clothing.
There is a double-edged sword when it comes to shopping sustainably on Depop. In theory, it may seem like a good idea to buy an overpriced shirt or shoes. However, by doing so, you are preventing another individual from being able to buy sustainable items. This ruins the entire point of shopping sustainability as it forces people who cannot afford thrifted items to turn to brands such as SHEIN. Thus, by supporting people who are making excessive amounts of money off of thrifted clothing, you are contributing to the problem of fast fashion, whether you realize it or not.
QFSF itself has had a history of promoting Depop and prompting individuals to utilize it, but I believe that we still need to view thrift marketplace apps through a critical lens and consider the impact that our purchases have on others, as conscious consumers. The demand for thrifted clothing will not decrease as sustainability is starting to become an issue garnering attention within society. However, if we want to keep the option of shopping sustainably available for all, we need to stop supporting these platforms. If sustainability becomes more unaffordable for the majority, then the possibility of combating climate change becomes far more out of reach.
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