Exploring thrift shopping: motivations, meanings, and cultural practices among Singaporean youths

• Main Authors: Tan, Eugenia Huixin, Yeo, Jolin Lixuan, Wee, Hsin
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Social Sciences; Thrift; Youths; Fashion; Shopping; Vintage; Secondhand
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/175754
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study investigates the growing phenomenon of thrifting among youths in Singapore, focusing on the motivations, meanings, and cultural practices associated with it. Through qualitative interviews with 14 young adults aged 21 to 27 and site visits to various thrift spaces, our findings reveal that thrifting serves not only as a sustainable and cheaper alternative to traditional retail shopping, but also as a unique social activity and identity marker for youths in Singapore. These findings contribute to the wider existing literature on secondhand fashion, and provide a deeper understanding of thrifting as a cultural practice among youths in Singapore.