The Downfall of Depop

By Rachel Obray

After a trip to the second-hand store, I’m only 30 dollars down for a pair of Levi jeans and several vintage tees. To find a similar pair of jeans on Depop, however, prices typically start at 40 dollars for a single pair alone. These high prices make second-hand fashion inaccessible and reverse its original purpose of charity. Why is Depop, an online thrifting app, becoming so expensive, and how has the rise of thrifting affected the fashion industry?

Whether you use Depop to browse for the latest finds, discover vintage gems, or sell your old clothes, transactions on this app are not new. The app was established in 2011 by Simon Beckerman, who wanted to create an "online flea market" that would operate as a shared network to connect fashion creatives. Slowly, the platform became a hybrid of social media and online selling platforms by encouraging space for fashion, creativity, and business at a reasonable cost. The company is based in the UK and prioritizes sustainability in its mission statement, describing itself as a "community-powered fashion ecosystem, kinder on the planet and kinder to people." In an article by Taylor Lorenz, a technology reporter for the Washington Post, it is noted that Depop draws in Gen Z users through the accessibility of the app. An article by The Bubble revealed 90% of Depop’s active users are under 26 — a hybrid of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers. The app encourages communication and promotion, making it easier to track fashion trends and engage with like-minded individuals.

However, the popularity of Depop comes at a cost to its sellers and buyers. Depop charges both transaction fees and selling fees when processing payments from buyers. January 2023 saw an increase in transaction fees from 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction to 3.3.% plus 45 cents. Depop fees are only part of what is causing the platform to be increasingly expensive. Frequent Depop users notice that sellers are marking their items at high prices despite market value. Pre-owned garments tend to fluctuate in price depending on factors such as rarity, quality, and desirability. When vintage thrift store finds become trendy and desirable, their cost rises uncontrollably because of their rising demand. Depop has faced criticism in this area, specifically because most prices are so expensive that they are only available to middle-class consumers. This becomes an issue as it diminishes Depop’s "progressive and diverse home for fashion" that promised to shape culture for the better.

My purchase history on Depop reflects a miniature inflation timeline. Almost four years ago, the average cost of dresses, jeans, and shirts was around 15 British pounds. Friendly, straightforward, and encouraging sellers replied to direct messages, accepting lower offers and negotiating reasonable costs. Any Depop user knows the phrase “open to offers” is a positive sign, yet I see it less and less. Buying an item is vastly different today and involves users having to spend much more time than they used to just to find unique pieces. One of the first items that appeared on my feed when trying to find pants was a pair of Juicy Couture tracksuit bottoms. At 70 British pounds for the pants alone, the user's simple phrasing of 'juicy trackies' shortened the brand's title, indicating the item is so sought after the full name need not be revealed. Weirdly, I saw a pair of similar Juicy Couture pants at Goodwill, priced at a reasonable 10 dollars, which is around 8 British pounds. This can be described as the “gentrification of thrifting,” where sellers purchase excess amounts of stock from low-priced thrift stores and resell them at higher rates online. Depop has also seen many cheaper fast fashion items marked as “vintage” or “original” pieces. The proliferation of generic fast fashion clothing stains the original creativity of the platform.

The surging costs of Depop have lowered both its appeal and accessibility. Jennifer Le Zotte, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington commented in a Vox article stating that the gentrification of charity shopping “has been a process of appropriating not just the styles associated with second-hand dress but the actual venues: the sales of items, the economic process, and availability.”

The history of second-hand fashion reveals opposite intentions and processes behind the practice today. One article states second-hand fashion roots back to the 1300s as a bartering system to serve low-income communities in the Middle Ages. In the 1800s when thrift stores became established through charities such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, second-hand fashion catered to the working class. During this time, second-hand fashion became associated with charity, with services such as Goodwill providing cheap clothing and labor for unemployed workers. Interestingly, these charitable organizations are now popular even amongst wealthier people, despite similar demand for cheap clothes meant to benefit the working class.

As a result of the post-war business boom, prosperity allowed middle-class families to donate their clothes to second-hand stores and refurbish their wardrobes with new pieces. Therefore, the act of thrifting became associated with the realm of poverty and social class. This led to a stigma surrounding second-hand clothes; people who bought clothes from a Goodwill or Salvation Army were seen as low, dirty, and uneducated. Now, articles that describe thrifting as a Gen Z movement and a pandemic-inspired trend strip thrift stores from their original identity and function — to serve the less fortunate with affordable clothing.

Although the history and contemporary reflections of thrifting reveal social class tensions, there is a fluidity and celebration of thrifting and second-hand fashion that should be appreciated. In the 90s, a subculture associated with grunge fashion emerged. Thrifting was seen as subverting tradition and de-politicizing fashion, demonstrated by cultural icons such as Kurt Cobain. An old interview shows Cobain talking about thrifting, saying he found it special to find an item that meant more to him than something he could buy with his significant income. Sorting through large amounts of clothes to find a treasured item breaks the association between fashion and wealth. Cobain was recognizable through his flannel shirts, converse, and ripped jeans, a look still seen today. A 1992 New York Times article described grunge fashion as "cheap, durable and kind of timeless,” embracing alternativeness and freedom from the capitalistic and mainstream fashion industry.

Depop does not capture the creativity, accessibility, and fluidity once offered by second-hand stores. It is not uncommon to go onto the app and see a Brandy Melville sweater marked as “vintage” circulating for around 100 dollars. Most items are marked with the hashtag “Y2K,” an aesthetic and fashion trend reflecting the mid-90s to the early 2000s. Yet, the majority of the items on the app are not from this period — they may just fit the aesthetic, allowing sellers to market a 5-dollar top for more than triple the price. Because of these trends, Depop is now built around clothing that fits a particular aesthetic rather than good-quality pieces. The surge in prices has often discouraged frequent Depop users from using the app. Sofia Sylvestri, a UNH sophomore says, "It is so hard nowadays to find a genuine item that isn't overpriced." Using the app since high school, Sophie finds that the quality of the clothes does not warrant the price marketed. She also noted users need to utilize Depop’s original purpose; instead of posting items for sale, users will post pictures of their most wanted items with the tag “ISO,” or in search of. However, posting “ISO” makes it harder for other users to find genuine items, as it "litters the feed with a bunch of stuff you can't even purchase."

Because many Depop sellers get their stock from charity shops or organizations that sell used clothes at the intended lower price mark, it comes into question whether reselling at such a high-cost mark is ethical. Although profit is the fundamental aspect of business, it is problematic for middle-class or wealthy individuals to take items away from individuals who need them. These reselling strategies have resulted in thrift shops increasing the price mark of items due to high demand, causing real implications for working-class people who need necessities at the best price. There is a clear political divide in terms of status and social class with Depop, which has turned users away from the once-beloved platform.