Social media posts about second-hand fashion brands Vinted and Depop have increased 72% since the start of the year to reach up to 5.5 million users, according to new research from AI social media analytics firm HypeAuditor.
Sustainable and second-hand fashion related tags have also increased, from just 19 posts to 10,000 posts, largely driven by the rise of the nano-influencer.
The research, which analysed over 10,000 posts, also highlighted that the posts perform well, with a high engagement rate of 84% among the target audience.
The top ten performing hashtags include #secondhand #depop #charityshop and #sustainable fashion.
The move comes as fast fashion retailers including H&M, Zara and Asos have all increased their returns fees in order to reduce the amount of waste.
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It follows in the wake of H&M launching its first pre-loved fashion platform, which came after the retailer had been called out when an investigation revealed that many clothes sent back through recycling ended up being dumped, burnt or destroyed.
Ebay also launched a Circular Fashion Fund last month in order to bolster sustainability businesses with six £25,000 grants on offer.
“To meet rising demand and the ongoing surge of second-hand clothing, brands are adopting second-hand and resale strategies at an accelerated rate,” said Hype Auditor CEO Alexander Frolov.
He added: “Many of these strategies revolve around influencer collaboration through sponsorships and sponsored posts.”
“By partnering with influencers and celebrities, top marketplaces can encourage growth, fulfil demand, and make a conscious effort towards sustainability.”
Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries, and has faced scrutiny and calls to change in the ten years since the Rana Plaza disaster, which saw a factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapse.
