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Thrifting Explodes in India: Google Data Reveals Massive Surge in Second-Hand Fashion Searches
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Storyboard•02-10-2026, 11:16
Thrifting Explodes in India: Google Data Reveals Massive Surge in Second-Hand Fashion Searches
- •Searches for "thrifting" reached an all-time high in India, with "how to thrift" increasing 850% and "thrift store near me" rising 600%.
- •Interest in thrifting is widespread, with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and even smaller cities like Guwahati and Jaipur showing significant growth.
- •Fashion items like jackets, tops, shoes, and jeans are top thrift searches, but furniture also shows breakout growth, indicating expansion beyond apparel.
- •Retro fashion, including Y2K streetwear and vintage styles like jerseys and sarees, is a major driver of the second-hand shopping trend.
- •Sustainability and circular fashion are increasingly linked to thrifting, with searches for "circular fashion" up 2,500% and "sustainable fashion" up 120%.
Key Questions Answered
The top 10 cities searching for thrift stores include Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Dehradun, Guwahati, and Jaipur, with Guwahati and Jaipur seeing breakout interest.
Jackets emerged as the most-searched thrift item, followed by tops, shoes, and jeans, while searches for thrift furniture also recorded breakout growth.
Google Trends data shows that searches for circular fashion rose by 2,500% over the past year, while interest in sustainable fashion increased by 120%.
