ThredUp

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ThredUp is an American online resale marketplace for second-hand clothing, footwear, and accessories.

Last updated August 26, 2026

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Overview

ThredUp is an American resale-fashion company that operates an online marketplace for pre-owned clothing, footwear, and accessories. Founded in 2009 by James Reinhart, Chris Homer, and Oliver Lubin, the company developed a managed resale model rather than functioning solely as a peer-to-peer listing service. Customers can send unwanted garments to ThredUp through a Clean Out Kit, after which the company receives, sorts, evaluates, photographs, prices, and lists eligible items for resale. Sellers may receive compensation as cash or online credit, or may direct the value toward charitable giving. Buyers browse inventory organized by brand, category, size, style, and other attributes. The company’s model is intended to address two sides of the apparel market: consumers seeking lower-cost alternatives to new clothing and households seeking a convenient way to recirculate garments. ThredUp’s operational infrastructure, including processing and distribution facilities in the United States and Europe, allows it to handle inventory centrally and standardize the resale experience. According to the cited reference material, the platform had processed more than 137 million second-hand items from approximately 55,000 brands since its founding, illustrating the breadth of its catalog and intake operation. ThredUp also serves fashion retailers through a business-to-business offering commonly described as resale as a service, or RaaS. Under this approach, a participating brand can use ThredUp’s logistics and processing capabilities to offer customers a way to send in used apparel. The retailer may provide store credit in return, creating a branded take-back or circular-commerce program without having to build a complete resale operation internally. This model extends ThredUp beyond direct consumer transactions and positions it as infrastructure for brands seeking resale, sustainability, and customer-retention initiatives. A notable consumer-facing development was the launch of Thrift Cards in 2019, which provided a gift-oriented way to purchase resale merchandise. In 2021, ThredUp became a Nasdaq-listed company, marking a transition from venture-backed growth to operation as a public company. Its business remains closely associated with the expansion of online second-hand fashion and the broader shift toward circular retail models. The available reference material does not identify a current chief executive, a corporate parent, an official corporate website, or a stock ticker, so those fields are left unspecified here.

History

ThredUp was established in 2009 by James Reinhart, Chris Homer, and Oliver Lubin. From its beginning, the company pursued a centralized approach to online clothing resale. Instead of asking every seller to create individual listings and negotiate directly with buyers, ThredUp created a managed intake and fulfillment system. Consumers could request a Clean Out Kit, place unwanted apparel in the provided shipping bag, and send it to the company. ThredUp then determined which items were suitable for resale, prepared the accepted merchandise for its marketplace, and managed the transaction and delivery process. This model required the development of substantial operational capabilities. Apparel arriving from consumers had to be received, inspected, categorized, photographed, priced, stored, and eventually shipped to purchasers. The company therefore combined characteristics of an e-commerce marketplace, a recommerce operator, and a logistics business. Its catalog expanded across clothing, footwear, accessories, and products from many different fashion brands. The cited reference material states that ThredUp had processed more than 137 million second-hand items from roughly 55,000 brands since its founding. ThredUp’s consumer proposition developed along two complementary paths. Sellers could convert unwanted garments into cash or online credit, with an option to donate the value to charity. Buyers could search a large, curated assortment through the online platform using brand, type, style, and related filters. The company’s centralized quality and merchandising process was designed to make used apparel easier to discover and purchase than through informal person-to-person channels. The company later broadened its role through business services for fashion retailers. Its resale as a service offering allows brands to use ThredUp’s processing and marketplace infrastructure in connection with customer take-back programs. A retailer can distribute or promote Clean Out Kits, accept used clothing from its customers, and provide store credit while ThredUp handles much of the operational work. This partnership model links resale to customer engagement, brand loyalty, and efforts to extend the useful life of garments. In 2019, ThredUp launched Thrift Cards, adding a gift and stored-value use case to its resale business. In 2021, the company was listed on Nasdaq. The public listing represented a significant institutional milestone and placed ThredUp within the publicly traded group of companies associated with online resale and circular fashion. The reference material also describes distribution facilities in the United States and Europe, reflecting the geographic reach of its inventory-processing network. The company’s later development has been characterized by efforts to scale resale operations while serving both individual consumers and retail partners. A cited report for the first half of 2023 recorded sales of €99.8 million, up 4 percent, and a negative result of €38.5 million. Those figures are included as a period-specific reference rather than as a current financial description. The available material does not establish a current executive roster, official corporate website, stock ticker, or corporate parent. ThredUp’s enduring business identity is that of a managed second-hand fashion marketplace supported by centralized sorting, fulfillment, and retailer-facing resale infrastructure.

2023
Reported first-half sales growth
[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
For the first half of 2023, the cited reference reported sales of €99.8 million, a 4 percent increase, alongside a negative result of €38.5 million.
2021
Nasdaq listing
[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
ThredUp became a publicly listed company on Nasdaq.
2019
Thrift Cards are launched
[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
ThredUp introduced Thrift Cards as a gift-oriented product associated with its second-hand fashion marketplace.
2009
ThredUp is founded
[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
James Reinhart, Chris Homer, and Oliver Lubin founded ThredUp as an online resale business focused on used apparel.

Products and positioning

A managed online resale platform and circular-fashion infrastructure provider that combines consumer apparel resale with logistics and resale-as-a-service partnerships for retailers.

Second-hand fashion marketplace · 2009
Online resale marketplace
ThredUp’s core consumer marketplace offers pre-owned clothing, footwear, and accessories. Inventory is processed and presented through a centralized system, allowing shoppers to search by brand, product type, style, and other attributes rather than relying on individual seller listings. The assortment can include merchandise from tens of thousands of fashion brands.
Consumer resale intake service
Clean Out Kit
The Clean Out Kit is a shipping-based intake service for consumers who want to resell unwanted apparel. ThredUp supplies a bag and shipping arrangement, receives the clothing, evaluates it, and lists eligible items for sale. The original owner can receive cash or online credit, or choose a charitable-donation option where available.
Business-to-business resale infrastructure
Resale as a Service
Resale as a Service enables fashion retailers to use ThredUp’s operational capabilities for branded take-back and resale programs. Participating brands can provide customers with Clean Out Kits or similar return mechanisms and may offer store credit in exchange for used apparel. ThredUp supports sorting, processing, and resale activities behind the program.
Gift and stored-value product · 2019
Thrift Cards
Thrift Cards are a gift-oriented offering introduced by ThredUp in 2019. They allow the company’s resale marketplace to be used as a gifting destination, extending the platform beyond direct individual shopping and selling transactions.

Brand decisions

2021
Public listing on NasdaqOther
Background
After building an online resale marketplace and operational processing network, ThredUp moved into the public capital markets.
Action taken
The company became listed on Nasdaq.
Aftermath
The listing made ThredUp a public company; the available material does not specify the ticker or detailed listing terms.
Source
2019
Launch of Thrift CardsProduct launch
Background
ThredUp sought to broaden how consumers could access its second-hand fashion marketplace.
Action taken
The company introduced Thrift Cards as a gift-oriented product.
Aftermath
The launch added a gifting use case to ThredUp’s resale offering; the cited material does not provide further performance results.
Source

Recent events

2021
ThredUp becomes a Nasdaq-listed company[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
Other
ThredUp completed its transition to a publicly listed company on Nasdaq, an important financing and governance milestone for the resale marketplace.
2019
ThredUp launches Thrift Cards[1]ThredUpen.wikipedia.org
Product launch
ThredUp introduced Thrift Cards, extending its resale marketplace into a gift-oriented format for second-hand fashion purchases.

Sources14 sources

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