CJ Mezzo Media's "2026 Fashion Industry Analysis Report," released in October 2026, shows that in an online survey conducted from August 27 to September 3 this year, 39% of respondents had used artificial intelligence (AI) to search for fashion information, and 59% of those AI users had bought products mentioned or recommended by AI. The survey covered 674 men and women aged 14–49 living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and the five major metropolitan cities who had purchased clothing or fashion accessories in the past three months. Data from the same period showed that 42% had experience buying secondhand fashion items and 42% had experience selling them. The report also noted that on August 25, 2025, Musinsa (무신사) published a service description for "Musinsa Used," which directly manages the entire process—inspection, condition records, photography, delivery, and customer service—to address hygiene and condition trust issues in secondhand transactions.

Key Points

  • 39% of respondents had used AI to search for fashion information, and 59% of them had bought AI-recommended products; among those in their 40s, this purchase rate was 66%, the highest of any age group
  • 42% had experience buying secondhand fashion; among reasons for buying, "cheaper than new" accounted for 72%; among reasons for not buying, hygiene/cleanliness concerns accounted for 38% and difficulty confirming condition for 36%
  • ThredUp's "2026 Resale Report," released on April 2, 2026, predicts that the global secondhand clothing market will reach $393 billion by 2030; the report includes a survey of 3,268 U.S. adults and 50 major fashion retailers and brands conducted in January–February 2026

Using AI to find products and buying secondhand is becoming a new entry point for Korean fashion consumption

According to pages 16–17 of the CJ Mezzo Media report, experience using AI to search for fashion information was highest among teenagers at 57%; among those with AI search experience, the proportion who bought products mentioned or recommended by AI was highest among those in their 40s at 66%. The report specifically cautions that these two percentages are based on different reference groups, and that "59% of AI users bought recommended products" cannot be directly interpreted as a purchase conversion rate—the questionnaire asked about past purchase experience, not order volume calculated by recommendation exposure. Regarding affordable consumption behavior, consumers' expectations for AI were, in order: price comparison and discount information discovery 35%, personalized styling recommendations 30%, size selection advice 29%, and multi-product comparison 27% (multiple choice).

The report said Google published "AI commerce common standards and distribution company support tools" on January 11, developed jointly with Shopify, Walmart, and others, designed so that different systems can exchange information during product search, purchase, and post-purchase support. Google also proposed that seller-provided product information should include items such as FAQs, complementary products, and alternative products, on the grounds that product names and promotional copy alone are insufficient for AI to answer consumers' specific questions. However, the report noted that at the time, the payment function was described as being for qualified U.S. sellers, which does not mean all Korean shopping malls already have equivalent capabilities.

Secondhand: Cheap, but hygiene and condition concerns remain

Pages 18–19 of the report show that both purchase and sales experience for secondhand fashion items stood at 42%. Among reasons for buying secondhand (multiple choice), "cheaper than new" topped the list at 72%; among reasons for not buying, hygiene/cleanliness concerns were 38%, and difficulty directly confirming defects or damage was 36%. In other words, lowering prices alone cannot eliminate this layer of distrust.

Korean secondhand fashion platforms' moves were cited as cases in the report. Musinsa published the "Musinsa Used" launch guide on August 25, 2025, and officially opened the service the next day, emphasizing that the platform directly manages the entire transaction process—inspection, product management, photography, delivery, and customer service—that is, shifting tasks previously handled individually by sellers to the platform. The report pointed out that the key is not just "inspection" but also accurately reflecting inspection results in product descriptions: if contamination or damage is confirmed but omitted from images and descriptions, it is difficult to resolve buyers' anxiety. The report proposed establishing information consistency—having those responsible for inspection, photography, and customer service share the same product condition record, and feeding return reasons back into inspection standards.

Secondhand market expectations and individual business profitability must be viewed separately

ThredUp's official release of the "2026 Resale Report" on April 2 predicted that the global secondhand clothing market will reach $393 billion by 2030, but the report explained that its market size estimate combines GlobalData's model and includes a survey of 3,268 U.S. adults and 50 major U.S. fashion retailers and brands conducted in January–February 2026. The report cautioned that forecasts of global market size and survey results limited to U.S. consumers have inherently different scopes; even if the global market grows, this cannot be directly extrapolated to sales growth or profit improvement for Korean entrepreneurs.

Turning secondhand items into resellable condition itself involves costs for collection, inspection, product management, photography, and inventory. When transaction value rises, the per-item processing cost and time required to sell must also be calculated together. The report accordingly emphasizes that when introducing related outsourcing services or adjusting operations, one should look not only at processing volume but also at the re-inspection rate, time required before listing, and the proportion of returns caused by incorrect condition descriptions. The report also notes that platform "direct management" does not mean all work is done by in-house staff; based on public information alone, it is impossible to determine whether a specific business is outsourced or the scale of the contractor.

Sportswear: Selling points must tie to category function; descriptions and honesty are equally important

Another observation in the report is sportswear consumption: 78% of respondents had experience buying sportswear. Among reasons for buying specialized brands, "functionality suited to that sport" accounted for 48%, "quality/durability" 39%, and "trust in professional technical expertise" 28%. The report explains that these data do not indicate the annual growth rate of the sportswear market but reflect what consumers choosing specialized brands value; different sports categories such as running, hiking, and yoga may require different product descriptions and consultation priorities.

Companies undertaking related operations and consulting should prepare response materials based on manufacturer-confirmed functions and usage conditions: do not attach unsupported athletic efficacy claims, but provide specific, verifiable descriptions of materials, sizing, usage methods, and purposes. Even when introducing AI customer service, the reference materials for answers must first be prepared.

From recommendation to delivery, every link must connect

The report concludes that fashion companies need to check item by item across different areas: in AI shopping scenarios, prioritize organizing the accuracy of product information (especially discount conditions, measured dimensions, materials, and wearing characteristics that directly support purchase decisions); in secondhand transactions, sort out the consistency between inspection and description; and for sportswear, provide descriptions according to intended use. At the same time, when judging operational performance, look not only at ad response and order numbers but also at cancellations, returns, and inquiry handling.

Lee Sang-geun, CEO of Samyoung Logistics (삼영물류), emphasized in his book "Logistics That Quietly Entered Our Lives," published in November 2025, that "online shopping is not simply the act of buying things but the result of countless logistics networks organically connected." The same holds for secondhand fashion: the process of turning collected items into resellable condition and the process of delivering items to buyers must mesh with each other. Only by connecting inspection records to product descriptions and incorporating return reasons into the next inspection standards can companies avoid focusing solely on delivery speed and processing volume while losing sight of buyers' dissatisfaction with product condition and the resulting rework costs. The priority for improvement should be set according to where consumer inconvenience and costs are most concentrated: if size inquiries recur, start with size information; if complaints about condition descriptions are frequent, first review inspection and photography standards; when adding new sales channels, also measure whether orders and inquiries generated there can be handled reliably.

Source: [Feature] Find Clothes with AI and Buy Secondhand… Fashion Industry's Key Is Product Information and Inspection Capabilities - Outsourcing Times · Originally published 2026-10-11