Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Depop - statistics & facts
Acquired by Etsy in 2021, Depop is one of the most popular platforms for internet users looking to buy and sell secondhand and vintage clothing and accessories. The platform, which is available worldwide in both app and website form, is based and was founded in London in 2011. Depop has since risen to an especially notable level of global popularity. Upon opening the C2C app, most users will be greeted with a comforting sense of familiarity, as the app layout is reminiscent of the widely used social media platform Instagram. Seller posts appear on a timeline that is curated directly from user following lists.
But what kinds of things are Depop’s millions of app users and website visitors actively searching for? As previously mentioned, apparel made up the largest share of the company’s GMV, but upon delving deeper into shoppers’ search habits, new trends have come to light. Popularized on TikTok, “core” aesthetics have taken the fashion landscape by storm. Cores define hyper-niche aesthetics that become most popular when expressed through fashion, and can be centered around anything – from cottagecore, barbiecore, and mermaidcore to dark academia, tomato girl summer, and the old money aesthetic. According to Depop’s latest trend report, niche aesthetics by the names of "sleaze academia" and "sports quest" are among those that will trend in the fashion sphere and dominate on the circular fashion platform in 2024.
Out with the new, in with the old
Owning rare and unique apparel pieces is an attractive feature of buying vintage that fashion lovers everywhere can get excited about, and Depop has successfully been able to capitalize on said excitement. Paired with the familiarity and user-friendly social aspects of their app layout as well as the here-to-stay trend of buying vintage, the company was able to generate 600 million U.S. dollars in gross merchandise volume in 2023. Among the apparel, bags and accessories, and footwear categories, apparel was favored by shoppers, accounting for nearly 60 percent of this GMV. And while the UK is Depop’s home market, the United States ranked above it as the company’s leading market.Depop’s userbase and “core” fashion trends
Even though Depop’s revenue has more than doubled since 2019, reaching a total of 85 million in the last reported year, monthly downloads of the app have calmed down since peaking in 2021. The Depop app consistently saw less than half a million downloads each month on the global level throughout all of 2022 and 2023.But what kinds of things are Depop’s millions of app users and website visitors actively searching for? As previously mentioned, apparel made up the largest share of the company’s GMV, but upon delving deeper into shoppers’ search habits, new trends have come to light. Popularized on TikTok, “core” aesthetics have taken the fashion landscape by storm. Cores define hyper-niche aesthetics that become most popular when expressed through fashion, and can be centered around anything – from cottagecore, barbiecore, and mermaidcore to dark academia, tomato girl summer, and the old money aesthetic. According to Depop’s latest trend report, niche aesthetics by the names of "sleaze academia" and "sports quest" are among those that will trend in the fashion sphere and dominate on the circular fashion platform in 2024.
