Google India search data shows that over the past year, Indian users' interest in secondhand clothing and thrift fashion has surged dramatically. Searches for "how to thrift" rose 850%, searches for the term "thrifting" hit an all-time high, "thrift store near me" climbed 600%, "what is thrift store" soared 1,000%, searches related to "circular fashion" jumped 2,500%, and "sustainable fashion" rose 120%.

Key Points

  • "how to thrift" searches up 850% year-on-year, "thrift store near me" up 600%, "what is thrift store" up 1,000%, "circular fashion" up 2,500%.
  • Top cities by search interest: Bengaluru leads, followed by Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Dehradun, Guwahati, and Jaipur; Guwahati and Jaipur are flagged as "breakout interest" cities.
  • The most-searched thrift categories are, in order, jackets, tops, shoes, jeans, and furniture; over the past month, searches for vintage jerseys, sarees, T-shirts, jackets, and bags have risen notably.

City Distribution and Search Categories

This wave of interest is not concentrated in a few areas. According to Google's data, the cities searching most for thrift stores are, in order, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Dehradun, Guwahati, and Jaipur, with Guwahati and Jaipur marked as breakout-interest cities. This distribution shows that secondhand fashion is moving beyond traditional markets and resale circles, drawing in consumers seeking unique or vintage pieces.

By category, apparel remains the core: the most-searched thrift item over the past year was jackets, followed by tops, shoes, jeans, and furniture, and searches for secondhand tops, jeans, and furniture also surged in several cities outside Mumbai. On the style front, Y2K streetwear has become a hotspot, with cropped denim shorts (jorts), track pants, and baggy jeans drawing particular attention; over the past month, searches for vintage jerseys, sarees, T-shirts, jackets, and bags have also risen sharply. The simultaneous rise of the Y2K trend and traditional Indian clothing reflects a dual orientation among younger generations: chasing retro styles while rediscovering local secondhand goods.

Beyond Saving Money: Sustainability and Tool Assistance

The driving forces are not just price and uniqueness. Google data also shows that circular fashion—keeping products and materials in use longer rather than following the traditional "buy-use-discard" cycle—is gaining increasing search attention. For India's growing fashion consumer base, "thrifting" no longer just means buying cheaper clothes; it is increasingly associated with vintage style, personal expression, and sustainability.

Google also introduced AI tools that can be used for searching secondhand and vintage goods: Google Lens can identify or learn about items by taking a photo; Circle to Search can be used to find similar vintage or secondhand pieces seen online; virtual try-on can be used before buying some clothing online; and Gemini Live can offer styling advice for secondhand outfits.

Against the backdrop of fast fashion's dominance, Indian consumers moving from asking "what is thrift store" to actually searching for "thrift store near me" signals that secondhand fashion is shifting from a niche interest to mainstream consumer behavior.

Source: From Y2K jeans to vintage sarees: Why are Indians suddenly searching for thrift stores? Google sees 850% jump in ‘how to thrift’- Moneycontrol.com · Originally published 2026-10-05