Thrifting becomes the new clear conscience: Arroon Gawalli

Authored by Arroon Gawalli, the Founder and CEO of Kreditnotes

Thrifting is an inherent practice of our society. It is a sensible way to lead a conscious lifestyle with minimal wastage, leading to a sustainable future. Thrifting is an ideal option to buy premium brand materials in a pocket-friendly manner.

Evolution With Changing Times 

With a paradigm transition in almost every sphere since 2020, shopping trends have taken a different route as well. Adapting to newer ways to stay afloat, businesses have switched to digital mediums and welcomed varied new practices. Realising the social media craze, merchants have stepped into such platforms creating their own spaces here. At present, they even collaborate with social media influencers to endorse their brands to a giant social media audience. 

Consumerism has increased drastically. On the contrary, it has become equally challenging to woo customers given the rise of consciousness and multiple competition. Lately, thrifting in the shopping world has made huge waves. It is an alternative to staying upbeat with the latest trends. The thrift culture has a longer history in the West than in India. Supporting thrift shops and the flea market, National Thrift Store Day is celebrated every year on August 17 in the USA. The 2022 resale report by ThredUp and analytics firm Global Data, revealed that North America is the leading secondhand market (globally). The growth may double by 2026, reaching up to $82 billion annually.

It is in the Indian genetics

Handing down or passing over things to the next generation is kind of a tradition in our culture. Wearing grandma’s ornaments to older siblings’ belongings, thrifting (without money here though) has remained in our blood ever since. Not only is it a cheaper and more efficient way of using things, but it also encourages a conscious way of living. 

Gen Z is the smart trendsetter

Scrapping the old heuristics of owning only fresh arrivals, thrifting is gaining quite the attention in the fashion arena. Through buying second-hand items people, especially the Gen-Z, are trying to be financially responsible and in turn, are paving the way for a sustainable living. They have been quick enough to realise that thrifting is an ideal way of a budget-friendly shopping option. 

Gen-Z is the most loyal second-hand market customer. With the myriad of trends happening every other day, the younger section has realised the more intelligent way of staying in tune with the latest trends. Fetching the best material from the flea markets they prefer affordable and eco-friendly options that are in turn adding to more life on this planet. Also, thrifting is an opportunity for everyone (including them) to afford luxury and branded items at pocket-friendly rates. 

On the road to pragmatism 

When it is about owning luxury items, we would never want to discard them. Even if its use no longer exists. We would still wish to either keep them for ages and finally throw them away when they are no more in a usable state. This way, such products are not optimally used and they add to the trash materials on the planet. 

Solving the same and changing people’s mindset, Kreditnotes has come to its rescue. It is a distinct e-commerce platform that offers selling opportunities to its customers. The customers or sellers can preferably sell their pre-owned items on this portal and in return they receive points in the form of credits worth rupees. The customers can encash those rupees by buying products from several brands that Kreditnote has partnered with. Ranging from white goods to electronics to housing furniture, Kreditnotes accepts almost everything in exchange for reward points and vouchers of varied brands. Through its “one-call one-click selling solution” approach, this is a hassle-free solution for sellers looking to sell their old valuables. The idea behind establishing this e-commerce site is to encourage decluttering of homes and opt for sustainable living.

In A Nutshell

These initiatives can inspire aspiring customers to adapt to fast fashion while being responsible and contributing to sustainable living. This way there will be fewer products ending up in incinerators and dump yards in just a few years post their manufacture and not everything is biodegradable. Thus, trends like thrifting and upcycling old valuables benefits all.