OfferUp's 2026 Holiday Recommerce Report finds Americans turning to secondhand marketplaces for name-brand gifts, better prices, and more ways to make their holiday budgets go further.

Americans have been rethinking how they shop for some time, looking beyond traditional retail to find the products they really want without paying full price. OfferUp's 2026 Recommerce Report found that 71% said economic or financial concerns influenced their decision to buy or sell secondhand over the past year, with rising living costs, inflation, and tariff-related price concerns all playing a role.

Now, as the holidays approach, those same pressures are making gift shopping even more complicated. According to OfferUp's 2026 Recommerce Report: Holiday Special Release, 77% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about rising holiday prices. And while they still want to give gifts their friends and family will love, they're increasingly considering secondhand as a way to make their budgets go further.

Eight in ten Americans (80%) expect to spend at least some of their holiday gift budget on secondhand items this year. That staying power shows how firmly secondhand has become part of holiday shopping, with more than one in three Americans (37%) planning to buy more secondhand gifts than they did last holiday season.

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Holiday budgets are changing how Americans shop

For many Americans, the decision to shop secondhand is about more than finding a good deal. It's also about avoiding the financial strain that holiday spending can create.

Nearly half (44%) of those surveyed expect to take on credit card debt for holiday purchases this year, and among those anticipating debt, more than half (54%) expect it will take at least three months to pay off. With that kind of spending pressure, shoppers are weighing more options before making a purchase. Nearly eight in ten Americans (78%) say they're at least somewhat likely to consider buying gifts from secondhand marketplaces to avoid taking on debt or overspending.

Some are also looking to items they already own to help fund their holiday shopping. OfferUp's broader 2026 Recommerce Report found that 95% of Americans have items at home they could potentially resell. This holiday season, 42% plan to sell or are considering reselling gifts from previous years to help pay for new ones.

The gift they want, without the full retail price

Even with tighter holiday budgets, Americans still want to give the gifts their friends and family are asking for. When a gift costs more than planned, many would rather find that same item at a better price than choose something else.

In fact, 51% of Americans say they'd be willing to look for the exact gift at a lower price on a secondhand marketplace. That's more than the 45% who would wait for a retail sale or the 32% who would choose a less expensive alternative.

Secondhand can also put a higher-end gift within reach. Asked to choose between a higher-end, name-brand item from a secondhand marketplace and a lower-cost alternative from a traditional retailer within the same budget, 38% of Americans preferred the secondhand option. Among Gen Z, that figure rises to 50%.

And while price matters, it's hardly the only draw. Nearly half of Americans say finding something unique or discontinued (49%) or getting a higher-quality, name-brand product for less (49%) would make them more likely to shop secondhand.

That could mean finding a sought-after toy, a name-brand electronic device or a collectible that isn't available in stores anymore. It could also mean buying something brand-new and unopened from a local seller. The appeal is having more choices, including gifts that might otherwise be out of reach.

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When the gift you want isn't in stock

Of course, sometimes the challenge isn't the price. It's finding the gift at all.

More than eight in ten Americans (81%) say they're at least somewhat likely to search a secondhand marketplace when a gift is sold out or difficult to find at traditional retailers. Rather than waiting for a restock, shoppers are open to seeing whether someone else already has what they're looking for.

The same thinking applies when the holidays are getting close and shipping becomes a concern. Three in four Americans (75%) say they're at least somewhat likely to look for the same item on a local secondhand marketplace if an online order won't arrive in time. Among Gen Z, 57% say they're very or extremely likely to take that approach.

Clothing and accessories (47%) top the list of gifts Americans are most likely to buy secondhand this holiday season, followed by collectibles and vintage items (38%) and toys and kids' items (33%).

Shopping locally can make a difference when time is running out, particularly when a gift is available nearby for pickup. And with everything from unopened products to vintage finds listed on secondhand marketplaces, shoppers aren't limited to what's currently on a retailer's shelves.

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From Black Friday deals to AI gift searches

Secondhand marketplaces aren't just helping shoppers find gifts that are difficult to get elsewhere. They're also becoming another place to check before making a purchase, even when traditional retailers are offering major discounts.

More than six in ten Americans (62%) say they already check or would consider checking whether they can find an advertised Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale item for less on a secondhand marketplace.

And as AI becomes another way to research gift ideas, shoppers are interested in having those options included there, too. Two in three Americans (66%) say they're at least somewhat interested in seeing secondhand marketplace recommendations alongside traditional retailers when using AI tools to research holiday gifts. Among Gen Z, nearly half (48%) are very or extremely interested in the idea.

Together, these findings suggest that shoppers are open to considering secondhand earlier in the buying process, whether they're comparing prices on a specific product or exploring gift ideas.

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Methodology

OfferUp's 2026 Recommerce Report: Holiday Special Release is based on an online survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted by Pollfish in October 2026. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. For questions allowing multiple responses, percentages may total more than 100%. Gen Z findings are based on survey respondents ages 18–29. Combined likelihood and interest figures include respondents selecting somewhat, very or extremely.

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