Pinterest launches thrift shop feature as Gen Z drives 550% surge in sustainable shopping

Pinterest announced today the launch of its Thrift Shop feature, a dedicated shopping experience for vintage and secondhand items, responding to a 550% increase in "dream thrift finds" searches among Generation Z users. According to Pinterest's 2025 Autumn Trend Report, sustainable shopping trends have reached unprecedented levels across the platform's global user base.

The Thrift Shop, which runs from August 20 through September 26, 2025, represents Pinterest's first dedicated marketplace for pre-owned goods. The feature allows users to browse and purchase vintage items directly through the platform by partnering with global vintage retailers and industry tastemakers who provide weekly closet drops.

Generation Z users, who now comprise more than 50% of Pinterest's user base, are leading this shift toward sustainable consumption. The platform recorded a 1,074% increase in searches for "vintage autumn aesthetic" alongside significant growth in male engagement, with searches for "secondhand outfits for men" rising 31% year-over-year.

The trend extends beyond fashion into home décor and lifestyle categories. Pinterest data shows searches for "secondhand kitchens" increased 1,012% while "secondhand decor" rose 283%. These metrics demonstrate how sustainability has become integrated across multiple consumer categories on the platform.

Fashion trends for autumn 2025 reflect this vintage emphasis through several distinct movements. Classic preppy styles dominate the seasonal forecast, with women's preppy outfits showing a 47,680% increase in searches. The preppy revival encompasses various subcategories, including navy blue stripes up 3,925% and 2000s preppy aesthetic rising 2,867%.

Male fashion trends show sophisticated vintage preferences, particularly around timepieces. Vintage watch searches increased significantly, with analogue watch searches up 59% and vintage luxury watch searches climbing 82%. Best luxury watches for men gained 55% while vintage brown watch searches rose 42%.

Generation Z users are embracing 1960s babydoll glamour, with searches for "60s babydoll" increasing 2,514% and "60s babydoll aesthetic" surging 4,428%. Evening wear follows this vintage trajectory, with 1960s evening gown searches up 5,928% and 60s evening gown searches rising 2,778%.

Patchwork fashion represents another significant trend among Generation Z users. Patchwork hoodies gained 1,531% in searches while patchwork sweatshirts increased 2,219%. Patchwork tee shirts showed the largest growth at 4,443%, with patchwork tees and crewnecks rising 1,406% and 954% respectively.

Polka dot aesthetics also gained momentum, with overall polka dot aesthetic searches up 1,512%. Specific applications include polka dot outfits rising 1,026% and polka dot nails increasing 1,296%. French tip nail variations featuring polka dots grew 1,157%.

Caffeine-inspired clothing emerged as a notable fashion subcategory. Vanilla latte blonde hair searches increased 2,023% while coffee brown pants outfit searches rose 632%. Espresso martini outfit searches gained 312% and matcha outfit searches increased 304%. Male users showed particular interest in coffee colour shirt outfits, with Generation Z men driving 127% growth in this category.

Home and office design trends reflect changing work patterns and aesthetic preferences. Cubicle decoration has become a significant category, with chic cubicle decor searches rising 1,543% and cubicle makeover ideas increasing 2,767%. Work office makeover searches climbed 2,652% while luxe office concepts gained 2,766%.

Corporate environment aesthetics show strong growth, with corporate office desk decor up 804% and green office aesthetic rising 1,065%. These trends align with hybrid work patterns where employees seek to personalize shared and temporary workspaces.

Statement tiles dominate home improvement searches. Terracotta tiles texture increased 833% while vintage tiles rose 1,107%. Kitchen applications show specific growth patterns, with Mexican tile kitchen backsplash searches up 380% and accent tile behind stove rising 388%. Bathroom applications include copper tiles bathroom up 505% and striped tile bathroom increasing 447%.

Art Deco styling has experienced renewed interest among Generation Z users. Art deco interior 1920s vintage searches increased 745% while art deco vintage rose 805%. Kitchen applications gained momentum with 1920s kitchen original searches up 494%. Contemporary interpretations include new art deco rising 497% and 1980s art deco increasing 509%.

Beauty trends emphasize grunge-inspired looks with modern applications. Clean grunge makeup searches increased 652% while natural grunge makeup rose 368%. Nostalgic influences appear through 90s grunge makeup up 210% and 2000s grunge makeup rising 197%. Soft grunge makeup looks gained 147% while dark grunge variations increased 123%.

Sea science skincare ingredients show significant growth. Salmon DNA searches surged 623% with salmon DNA treatment rising 234%. COSRX snail essence, representing K-beauty influence, increased 33%. These ingredients reflect consumer interest in innovative skincare technologies.

Pixie cuts represent the dominant haircut trend among Generation Z users. Asymmetrical pixie bob searches increased 1,119% while chic pixie rose 2,435%. Color variations include honey blonde pixie cut up 1,892% and dark brown pixie haircut rising 946%. The 90s pixie haircut gained 724% while short blonde pixie styles for Black women increased 1,950%.

Fragrance trends emphasize warm, comforting scents. Autumn scents searches rose 77% while apple scent increased 53%. Caramel scent gained 49% and almond scent rose 21%. Layering scent combos showed 157% growth while vanilla scent aesthetic increased 117%. Scent garden searches, representing fragrance gardening, climbed 73%.

Travel preferences center on European countryside destinations and cultural experiences. Switzerland countryside searches increased 367% while Scotland countryside rose 73%. German countryside gained 59% while Edinburgh Scotland searches climbed 85%. England countryside cottage showed strong growth at 814%.

Fashion-focused travel appears through countryside fashion searches up 277% and autumn Europe outfits rising 78%. Cotswolds outfit searches increased 597%, indicating location-specific styling preferences.

Brazil emerges as a significant destination category. Brazil beauty searches rose 119% while Brazil photos increased 441%. Brazil nature gained 74% and Brazil sunset searches climbed 70%. Brazil at night searches increased 51%, indicating diverse activity preferences.

Greek destinations show sustained interest across multiple locations. Santorini night searches rose 83% while Greek ruins increased 79%. Specific destinations include Navagio Beach Greece up 67% and Halkidiki Greece rising 63%. Cultural sites gained traction with Zeus temple searches up 66% and Acropolis of Athens increasing 65%.

Food trends emphasize artisanal baking and creative presentations. Sweet focaccia bread searches increased 218% while decorated focaccia bread rose 237%. Flavor combinations include lemon blueberry focaccia up 308% and cinnamon focaccia surging 562%.

Mini baking represents a significant category with overall mini baking searches up 281%. Specific applications include mini dessert ideas rising 529% and mini egg cheesecake increasing 854%. Mini egg cupcakes gained 781% while mini tres leches rose 235%. Presentation concepts include mini pancake bar up 586% and mini pancakes aesthetic increasing 252%.

The data reflects Pinterest's growing influence in trend forecasting and consumer behavior prediction. According to previous reporting on PPC Land, Pinterest's marketing moments guide demonstrates distinct seasonal patterns in user behavior and planning cycles. This autumn report continues Pinterest's established trend analysis capabilities that help marketers understand consumer preferences before they reach mainstream adoption.

For digital marketing professionals, these trends provide advance insights into consumer preferences across multiple categories. The emphasis on sustainable consumption, vintage aesthetics, and personalized spaces creates opportunities for brands that align with these values. The strong growth in thrift and secondhand categories indicates consumer priorities around environmental consciousness and individual expression.

Pinterest's ability to identify trends before they reach peak popularity makes this data valuable for campaign planning and content strategy. The platform's recent advertising enhancements, including improved measurement capabilities and programmatic access, provide marketers with tools to capitalize on these emerging trends.

The Thrift Shop launch represents Pinterest's evolution from inspiration platform to commerce destination. By facilitating direct purchases of vintage items, Pinterest creates new monetization opportunities while serving growing consumer demand for sustainable shopping options.

Timeline

• August 20, 2025: Pinterest releases 2025 Autumn Trend Report and launches Thrift Shop feature
• July 8, 2025: Pinterest releases first-ever Men's Trend Report revealing male users represent over one-third of global audience
• June 11, 2025: Pinterest announces AI-powered auto-collages and enhanced trend forecasting tools ahead of Cannes Lions
• February 12, 2025: Pinterest reports 3.6x higher engagement for dual-placement advertising campaigns
• January 30, 2025: Pinterest unveils comprehensive marketing moments guide for 2025 detailing seasonal trends
• January 28, 2025: Pinterest expands programmatic access through Index Exchange and Criteo partnerships
• August 20, 2024: Pinterest unveils Autumn 2024 trends focusing on Japanese influence and community activities
• September 26, 2025: Thrift Shop feature concludes initial run

Summary

Who: Pinterest, with over 570 million global monthly active users, particularly Generation Z users who represent more than 50% of the platform's user base

What: Launch of Pinterest's first-of-its-kind Thrift Shop feature and release of the 2025 Autumn Trend Report showing massive growth in sustainable shopping trends, with "dream thrift finds" searches increasing 550% among Generation Z users

When: August 20, 2025, with the Thrift Shop feature running through September 26, 2025

Where: Global Pinterest platform, with partnerships involving vintage and thrift retailers worldwide and weekly closet drops from industry tastemakers

Why: Response to shifting consumer preferences toward sustainability and unique personal expression, driven by Generation Z users who are rejecting fast fashion in favor of vintage and secondhand items that tell personal stories while being environmentally conscious and budget-friendly