AI and US tariffs expected to fuel fresh surge in secondhand fashion sales

Use of hi-tech search tools enables shoppers to find items they want, while trade war pushes up prices of new clothes

Artificial intelligence will spur on sales of secondhand clothing, according to the boss of one of the biggest online resale sites, after global sales rose 15% last year – more than four times faster than the wider market.

Pre-loved clothing items now account for $227bn (£175bn) or 9% of total fashion sales, according to a report by analysts at GlobalData for online the clothing reseller ThredUp. The figure represents a big leap over the past five years and has led to resellers eating into the market share of major clothing retailers.

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