New York Post
This could really take a bite out of the Big Apple.
The secondhand apparel industry may be dodging duties on imported goods – but the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on thrift shops may still bring a wrecking ball to businesses across the city, resellers told The Post.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric that everybody’s going to turn to second-hand [clothing] when wallets tighten,” said Alexis Krase, owner of plus-size secondhand store Plus BKLYN in Greenpoint.
“But overall, I think that ultimately means people are also being more critical of spending dollars in general: Overall sales will be down.”
Krase, 40, said she’s already gotten a whiff of what’s to come — Trump first enacted some of his international tariffs earlier this month — when her store saw “the worst sale day we’ve had all year.”
“We did only $250 [in sales] that day, which is not enough to even pay my staff,” said Krase. “And the next day when [Trump] rolled it back, it went back to normal – so there’s definitely fear that exists in consumer spending.”
Tourism in the Big Apple, The Post reported, is expected to tank due to the tariffs and corresponding stock market uncertainty. And according to the national director of hospitality for CoStar, an industry data tracker, the city “probably hasn’t seen this kind of deceleration since 2020.”
Trendy North Brooklyn nabes are also a major thrifting hotspot for European travelers — they make up about half of Krase’s overall customer base, she said – and a decline in overseas tourists could cripple her shop.
Kate, the store manager at Other People’s Clothes, a resale clothing store in Bushwick, told The Post that a decline in tourism could not only be a blow to the business, but also the entire block of hip cafes and restaurants near Wyckoff Avenue.
Amid fears that brick-and-mortar purchases may plummet, online sales could see a boom though, according to new resale app data.
Nine online resale marketplaces – including eBay, Mercari, Depop and Craigslist – saw downloads increase by 3% from January to March in what serves as the collective apps’ first quarterly gain in three years, according to the Associated Press.
“I think there’s going to be a lot more competitors in the market,” predicted Williamsburg resident Ale Aguirre, a longtime thrifter who recently started an online clothing and glassware resale business.
But competition coupled with tariffs could cause prices in the secondhand marketplace to skyrocket.
Aguirre, 26, who founded Wings Ware with pals Hannah Yi and Steph Bang, said she has already seen price hikes at popular thrift joints like Beacon’s Closet.
L Train Vintage shopper Yulia, who declined to provide her last name, echoed that the secondhand market has become increasingly inaccessible to the average consumer.
“Most of the thrift stores are already so expensive that it’s cheaper to go to Zara,” the Williamsburg resident lamented. “What’s next? People will start to make their own clothes and crochet.
“Rich kids will be rich kids no matter what, and normal people like us will have to figure it out.”
Krase vowed not to increase prices, but Aguirre admitted facing an ethical dilemma over whether to resell at a higher cost — especially if affordable clothing becomes harder to find.
“I don’t want to take from the people that ultimately do need it, which I think we are very deliberate with what we end up purchasing,” Aguirre said.
While tariffs may drive demand in the resale market temporarily, Steve Lamar, president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said counterfeiters and other shady actors who find ways to evade the surcharges will be the “real winners” in a trade war.
“Authentic, socially responsibly brands just had their job made tougher,” Lamar added.
Ultimately, Krase just hopes Trump pulls a 180 “because … I think no small business can survive this.”
– With reporting by Lisa Fickenscher