In April 2025, Scott Atkins, a 22-year-old resident of Glasgow, decided to leave a paid work-and-study design engineering program at the University of Glasgow to focus full-time on selling secondhand clothes online, reflecting a broader interest in this among Gen Z, according to Reuters.
Atkins’ business model is simple: he finds vintage and secondhand clothes from wholesalers around Britain, chooses items he likes, photographs each piece and posts them on Vinted, an online marketplace where sellers can list items without extra fees.
He first entered the resale market in 2024 as a student, hoping to earn extra money to buy a car. What started as a side hustle has since become his primary source of income. He now generates about $13,614 a month, with roughly $9,551 in profit. Given these circumstances, his parents, who initially questioned his decision to drop out of school, now fully support him.
According to a survey by Boston Consulting Group and Vestiaire Collective, this case reflects a wider trend among Gen Z consumers, as secondhand clothing already accounts for 32% of their wardrobes. By 2030, the reselling market is expected to reach $360 billion globally.
