Thrifty and thriving: Op shops boom as shoppers embrace ‘second-hand first’ ethos
The humble op shop is moving into the spotlight as a generation of shoppers embrace the ethos of second-hand first.
Once the domain of the needy, op shops and other secondhand sellers, including online platforms Depop and Facebook Marketplace, are enjoying a resurgence driven by a number of factors, including the cost-of-living crisis, and a renewed interest in sustainability.
Aussies are flocking to op shops like Savers as they embrace second-hand first. Supplied
According to global market researcher Statista, Australia’s second-hand economy was valued at more than $60 billion in 2022.
“With more and more consumers utilising the opportunities afforded by the country’s resale sector in recent years, Australia is entering a new era of second-hand buying and selling as economic pressures and ecological concerns shift consumer purchasing behaviour,” it said.
Second-hand retailer Savers Australia told nine.com.au a growing number of Australians were adopting a “second-hand first” mindset.
The Australian arm of the US chain of profit-making thrift stores is expanding its footprint in Australia after opening its first store in Melbourne in 1997.
The chain operated exclusively in Victoria and South Australia for 25 years before opening its first NSW store in Sydney’s Hoxton Park in 2024, and now has 17 “superstores” and one boutique.
Research conducted on its behalf in 2024 showed more people were embracing a second-hand first philosophy.
Savers Australia marketing director Natalie Howes said three key factors were driving the push towards second-hand first: affordability, self-expression and individuality, especially among younger consumers, and sustainability.
“Eighty-six per cent of Australian adults have engaged in second-hand shopping,” Howes told nine.com.au.
Savers said affordability, self-expression and individuality are bringing shoppers into stores. Supplied
“We are seeing increased activity in our stores and we are seeing a rise in donations.”
“Consumers today are becoming much more aware of the impact their choices have on the environment,” Howes said.
“In 2025, Savers helped divert more than 10 million kilograms of reusable clothing and household goods from landfill across our Australian stores.”
Donations can be made at each of their centres and anyone who donates items gets a 20 per cent off coupon.
Howes said while customers were more mindful about their place on the planet, many enjoyed the “treasure hunting” aspect.
“Forty-two per cent of people say they shop second-hand for the thrill of discovery,” she said.
Howes said the younger generation was leading the charge when it came to ‘thrifting’, as it’s known in the US. The term is gathering pace in Australia thanks to TikTok, where users love to show off their finds.
Among them is Melbourne’s Bec Brewin, who calls herself a “conscious consumer” on TikTok.
Her more than 35,000 followers watch as she chronicles her trips to browse op shops, looking for her latest bargain, such as the Yves Saint Laurent blazer she picked up for $6.50 − a new one retails for about $5000 − or the Oroton handbag that cost $5.50.
“My heart rate probably does go up a little when I find something like that. I think, ‘I have to get this before I pass out’,” she told nine.com.au.
Another time, Brewin found a whole tranche of memorabilia from the set of Neighbours in a Melbourne op shop.
Bec Brewin is one of the Aussie op shoppers sharing her finds on TikTok. Instagram @becbrewinthrift
She can clearly recall the first time she stepped inside an op shop as a primary school student: “It was one of those traditional op shops in the back of a church, and it blew my mind.”
As a teenager, a then very fashion-conscious Brewin started visiting her local Savers store in Melbourne to scour the rack.
“At the time, I was way more into high-end clothing that I have been at any other point in my life. I was after that unique factor; something that would stand out,” she said.
After she welcomed her first child five years ago, she started shopping for clothing in op shops as she anticipated her weight would fluctuate after giving birth.
Pretty soon she was hooked. Fast forward to today, and second-hand clothing now makes up the majority of Brewin’s wardrobe.
“I would say it’s around 75 per cent ... that includes op shops, Depop and Facebook Marketplace.”
Brewin said it was a conscious decision to buy second-hand first.
“It’s driven by sustainability and it’s driven by wanting to purchase something that would otherwise have ended up in landfill,” she said.
She relies on hand-me-downs from friends to clothe her two children, aged five and three.
Brewin estimates 75 per cent of her wardrobe is second-hand. Tiktok/rebeccabrewin0
If there’s a gap in their wardrobe, as happened recently when her son outgrew his clothes, she headed to a second-hand store where she spent $60 on 20 near-new items of clothing.
She has even convinced friends to follow suit.
“What I really feel proud of is that I have brought a lot of people around to checking out something second-hand instead of going straight to traditional retail.”
While Brewin said her friends mostly preferred the online platform Depop, she loved scouring the aisles of op shops.
It’s not just her clothing that is second-hand – almost every item in her home is also being given a new lease on life.
That was both a conscious decision, based on wanting to find items that matched the 19th century mid-century modern style of her home, and necessity.
Having sold everything to travel overseas, when she and her now-husband moved into a home of their own they had a very small budget for furniture and homewares.
“My first purchase was a white mid-century sideboard and my second was a Moroccan killeen rug.”
A more recent find was the 1970s fondue table and matching chairs she picked up during a trip to Tasmania and had to leave in a shipping container for two years until she could go back to get it. Similar suites sell for more than $3000.
While those kind of high-end finds a rare, she has picked up new leather shoes that would retail for $200 for a tenth of that price.
But she is just as happy in the knowledge she is taking something home that would most likely have ended up at the tip.
The retro table and chairs Brewin bought in Tasmania. Tiktok/rebeccabrewin0
As for her top tips for op shopping, Brewin said it was pretty simple.
“The best op shop is the one that you can visit often, so you get to build a relationship with the volunteers and managers,” she said.
She also said to allow yourself enough time to browse the racks, and look in all areas.
“You might think the plus-size area isn’t for you but a Zara top might end up there that is regular size.”
Where to op shop in Australia
Australia’s op shops − short for opportunity shops − are run by a number of leading charities and one large for-profit retailer.
Between them, they operate thousands of storefronts, which not only divert tonnes of clothing and the like from landfill but bring in millions of dollars.
The ones operated by charities are staffed mainly by volunteers and use the profits to run vital programs.
Op shops are increasing in popularity. Supplied/Jo Abi
The biggest operators of op shops in Australia include:
Vinnies, also known as St Vincent de Paul Society. Eager to compete with platforms such as Depop, it launched its own online store in 2025. It also operates 650 bricks and mortar stores across Australia. Proceeds are used to fund its community programs.
Salvos Stores, run by The Salvation Army. There are about 400 Salvos outlets across the country. All profits go towards its programs and services, including emergency housing, homelessness, food security, domestic violence support, youth services and disaster relief.
Savers, a commercial business that started in the US, operates 17 superstores and one boutique, but donates a portion of money derived from the weight of donations, to charity.
Red Cross Shops, run by the Australian Red Cross, operates 180 boutiques and traditional op shops. Money raised by the stores supports Red Cross teams on the ground in Australia and around the world to carry out humanitarian work.
Australian Red Cross operates Red Cross Shops across the country. Getty
Lifeline, which sells mostly clothing and books; has about 250 stores across Australia. Proceeds fund its suicide prevention and crisis support services.
There are various other state-based operators such as Good Sammy in WA.
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