— The conversation
The market is moving toward us. Here's what the industry is saying about the space Robely is building in.
§ 01 MARKET CONTEXT
U.S. RESALE MARKET BY 2027
3× growth from $24B in 2018 — ThredUP 2024 Resale Report
RESALE GROWS FASTER THAN RETAIL
Secondhand apparel growing 3× faster than the global apparel market overall
WARDROBE-AS-PORTFOLIO SEARCHES
Google Trends 2023–2024 — consumers treating clothing as a financial asset
GARMENTS WORN FEWER THAN 5×
WRAP 2024 — the utilization crisis Robely directly addresses
§ 02 INDUSTRY COVERAGE
THREDUP · 2026
The U.S. secondhand market is growing 4× faster than retail. AI is now the engine scaling resale — from pricing to authentication to personalized discovery. 78% of retailers are investing in AI resale tools.
April 2026
Read Report →FASHIONISTA · 2025
Wardrobe management platforms are well-positioned to expand into resale, rental, and repair. The wardrobe of tomorrow is as much about trading as it is about buying new.
June 2025
Read Article →BUSINESS OF FASHION · 2025
Resale is no longer just a thrift-store alternative — it is a central part of fashion's future. Brands that don't engage with the secondhand economy risk losing relevance with Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
2025
Read Article →THE REALREAL × EON · 2025
The RealReal partnered with Eon Exchange to embed Digital IDs into luxury products — allowing customers to seamlessly consign items and boosting the circular economy. A direct signal that the industry is moving toward digitized wardrobes.
2025
Read on WWD →PYMNTS · 2026
AI is removing the old headaches of secondhand — automating pricing, verification, and discovery — making resale as fast and frictionless as buying new. The infrastructure for clothing-as-asset is finally arriving.
2026
Read Article →THE FASHION LAW
A live tracker of every major investment, acquisition, and funding round in the resale space — from Depop's $1.2B eBay acquisition to Alta's $11M raise. The capital is following the consumer.
Ongoing
View Tracker →THREDUP · 2025
The global secondhand apparel market is projected to hit $367 billion by 2029. 47% of consumers now consider resale value before buying new — a fundamental shift in how people relate to what they own.
2025
Read Takeaways →TRELLIS · 2025
As first-hand fashion sales stagnate, the circular economy is accelerating. Consumers are increasingly treating their closets as rotating inventories — buying, wearing, and reselling with financial intent.
2025
Read Article →For media requests, partnerships, and analyst briefings.