Depop: From Endless Scrolling to Breaking Fashion Barriers

Client

Depop is an online resale shopping platform, which hosts a 35-million-member community. It is a social-driven peer-to-peer marketplace specializing in clothing.

Assessment

The online resale market value in the United States is projected to continue an upward growth through 2030 (Mercari 2021), and Depop is one of many online resale fashion apps available. Depop is known for having higher resale prices than competitors, but they rely on users, resellers, or designers to sell their clothes.

Strengths

• Emphasis on eco-friendly shopping
• Established online marketplace dominance in Gen Z
• Social-media-like app layout

Weaknesses

• High shipping costs
• Known for having expensive resale fashion
• Weak customer support

Threats

• Competition with other online selling platforms
• Changing regulatory challenges
• Fake luxury items or scams can damage Depop’s brand if not handled professionally

Opportunities

• Partnerships with sustainable companies or celebrities to shop their closets
• More focus on product diversification
• Verification for high-value items

Research

I conducted interviews with 14 users of Depop. 9 interviewees were both buyers and sellers, and 5 were buyers.

• Depop is built off word-of-mouth recommendations and social connection
• Nearly 6 million tons of textiles are discarded every year in the EU (Richford 2023)
• Fast fashion is depreciating the amount of money people are willing to spend on cloths (especially second-hand)
• Competitors like Poshmark and eBay use AI to help shoppers list their items easier or cut down on listing creation time (Takanashi 2025)

Figure 1. These brands were highlighted as potential collaborations for Depop to explore. “Y2K” was an extremely popular style of clothing that was desired for purchase on Depop.

Plan

Shipping Prices

• 8/14 described shipping costs as too high
• Negotiate the bulk rate USPS shipping discounts and absorb portion of the cost of shipping to offset expenses

Seller Support

• AI platform to find audience analytics to account for items buyers are purchasing rather than liking
• Seller dashboard with top hashtags
• Reduce backdoor methods and improve search and listing accuracy
• Reevaluate boosting program
• Seller resolution team with guaranteed 48-hour response window to increase seller retention and decrease seller churn

Product Diversity

• Acessories, jewelry, home décor
• “Beyond Clothing” section to encourage less seasonal shopping

Celebrity/Brand Collaboration

• American Eagle and Hollister “Y2K Vault Drops”
• Limited clothing drops of archival pieces
• Britney Spears, Emma Chamberlain

References

Mercari. (October 20, 2021). Online and offline resale market value in the United States from 2020 to 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. InStatista. Retrieved December 03, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1308045/resale-market-value-onlineoffline-united-states/

Richford, R. (2023). Fashion Needs to Address Its Plastic Problem, Social Issues, Says EU Panel. WWD: Women’s Wear Daily, 10–11.

Takanashi, L. (2025, May 9). Resale welcomes a wave of “tariff-ied” new customers. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/tariffs-resalesecondhand-marketplace-boom/

Zaczkiewicz, A. (2024, August 5). How Brands Can Cash In on the Booming Secondhand Market. WWD: Women’s Wear Daily. https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/cashing-in-on-the-booming-secondhand-market-1236529463/

Professional Application

"This project strengthened my ability to approach communication challenges with a strategic, research-driven mindset by analyzing audience behavior, industry trends, and user insights to develop applicable recommendations. It prepared me for a career in public relations by enhancing my skills in client-focused messaging and aligning brand strategies with audience needs." - Brynn Pinkes '26, MS '27

For Further Discussion

This serves as an overview of the project and does not include the complete work. To further discuss this project, please email Brynn Pinkes.

Course Overview

In MSS 495: Capstone: Media Forecasting and Strategy, students analyze the various forces impacting media industries, professionals, and users, tracking current trends and forecasting future influences. Students study the issues facing media producers/users and strategize creative responses to the challenges of operating in an ever-changing media environment, applying critical thinking, research and creative problem-solving skills to real-world situations in their capstone project, a Media Consultant Report. Students also are expected to demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills in their final project and a weekly Media Trends blog.

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