Shein to Vinted: How fast and preloved fashion drive excess consumption
According to a study released on June 25 by France's environmental agency Ademe (Agency for Ecological Transition), the appeal of buying more clothes draws consumers to both ultra-fast fashion and secondhand platforms. The report highlights that customers using these two channels tend to accumulate and rotate their wardrobes at significantly higher rates than average.
Conducted with 400 consumers aged 16 to 75, the study tracked a cohort of 159 respondents over time to evaluate changes in shopping behavior. Results show that the apparel market is driven by a small group of heavy consumers—around 20–25% of the population. On average, French consumers purchase 13 clothing items per year and estimate they own 79 pieces. However, actual wardrobe reviews conducted with 40 participants revealed much higher numbers, with some owning up to 120 more items than they thought. Ademe extrapolates this to a national average of 175 clothing pieces per person.
Over half of these garments go unworn. Nationwide, it's estimated that 120 million clothing items purchased more than three months ago have never been worn. Interestingly, while 35% of respondents believe they own more clothes than needed, only 19% consider their consumption excessive.
'People are more likely to question the volume they've accumulated over the years than the frequency of their current purchases,' notes Ademe.
Fast and ultra-fast fashion in focus
Among respondents, 45% shop at traditional fast fashion retailers like H&M and Zara. Men make up 58% of this group, with an average age of 43. These brands attract a broad demographic across all income levels.
Just 24% purchase from ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein, Temu, Asos or Boohoo. These customers skew younger and more female—70% are women, and the average age is 38. Few consumers over 55 engage with these platforms. Notably, 57% of ultra-fast fashion customers earn less than €1,500 a month, compared to 40% of all apparel shoppers.
Perceived quality varies: while 54–85% of fast fashion consumers rate product quality as acceptable, only 24% of Shein shoppers feel the same. Ratings drop to 16% for Temu, 14% for AliExpress, and just 8% for Wish.
Overconsumption accelerated
Ultra-fast fashion significantly intensifies consumer habits. Customers are twice as likely as the average to say they choose these brands to 'buy more and refresh their wardrobe often.' They're also nearly twice as likely to report increased purchasing since discovering their preferred retailer. The result: ultra-fast fashion shoppers have wardrobes 52% larger than those of traditional fashion consumers.
A further issue is 'purchase regret'—items bought and never worn. This is reported by 45% of ultra-fast fashion consumers, and 18% say it happens multiple times a year. While product returns are fairly consistent across categories (averaging 2.2–2.3 returns per year), the real difference lies in the volume and speed of acquisition.
Secondhand's surprising impact
Secondhand fashion has become a booming segment. Forty-two percent of consumers buy used clothing, and 87% of those use resale platforms— Vinted dominates with 90% usage, followed by LeBonCoin (29%) and VideDressing (10%).
However, only 27% both buy and sell. Many see secondhand shopping not as a sustainability effort but as a route to low-cost fashion. On average, people spend €115 annually on secondhand clothing —about 30% of their total fashion budget.
'Secondhand shoppers are often some of the most active consumers,' the report notes, 'even if they spend slightly less than average.' Wardrobe checks confirmed this paradox.
The ultra-fast fashion–secondhand loop
There's also significant overlap: 38% of secondhand shoppers also buy fast fashion, and 13% regularly purchase ultra-fast fashion. Items from these low-cost brands are heavily represented on resale platforms.
Secondhand savings don't necessarily curb consumption. In 51% of cases, money saved through resale is spent on more clothing. Among heavy fashion shoppers (those buying multiple items monthly), 85% reinvest resale earnings into more fashion purchases.
Ademe concludes that secondhand fashion helps democratize access and extend product life. However, it also risks fueling a 'consumption loop' that increases wardrobe turnover rather than reducing it. Furthermore, reselling often replaces donations or recycling as a disposal method.
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