The Thriving Community Powering Depop‘s Fashion Phenomenon
Behind Depop‘s meteoric rise lies a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, creatives, and vintage fashionistas pioneering the future of resale. Through hard data and insights from power players, let‘s pull back the curtain on the users fueling this game-changing marketplace.
Depop by the Numbers: Key User Statistics
In 2022, Depop hit a high note of over 3.1 million active users from across 150 countries. Impressively, 1.8 million of these users actively sell items, highlighting the app‘s profound entrepreneurial impact.
Depop‘s swift growth trajectory becomes clear when visualizing historical active user data:
Zooming in on 2022 data, we gain a more granular glimpse into Depop‘s diverse user base:
Age Distribution
| Age Group | % of Users |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 32% |
| 18-24 | 41% |
| 25-34 | 19% |
| 35-44 | 5% |
| 45+ | 3% |
The majority fall under 35, with teens and young adults firmly in the sweet spot.
Gender Breakdown
- Female – 73%
- Male – 23%
- Non-binary / other – 4%
The app skews heavily female, likely related to the fashion category focus.
Top Countries
| Country | Active Users |
|---|---|
| United States | 1.2 million |
| United Kingdom | 850,000 |
| Canada | 315,000 |
| Australia | 237,000 |
| France | 201,000 |
While founded in the UK, the United States now anchors Depop‘s global user base. Opportunities abound for international growth.
Now that we‘ve surveyed the landscape, let‘s analyze the specific styles and categories keeping users hooked.
Spotlight: Depop‘s Biggest Style Categories
Beyond the app‘s culture and ethos, Depop owes its rise to the rich diversity of merchandise populating its vibrant aisles.
Vintage
From edgy 90s fashion to retro threads, Depop users covet thrifted vintage pieces. As the charts below demonstrate, vintage has asserted itself as the dominant player:
Vintage captures 52% market share of Depop sales
Vintage category sales have surged 89% from 2019 to 2022
Deeper analysis reveals 1990s and Y2K era (early 2000s) pieces as top performers, aligning perfectly with Depop‘s millennial and Gen Z user base feeling nostalgic for pieces from their childhood.
Streetwear
From limited-release sneakers to coveted hoodies, streetwear and hype brands fuel an entire subculture on Depop. Top streetwear names like Supreme, Palace, and BAPE incite bidding wars between clout-chasing hypebeasts.
Tracking streetwear‘s rising prominence:
- 21% market share of all Depop sales
- 172% sales growth since 2019
- $410 average selling price, highest across categories
- Supreme, Nike, and Jordan top-sold streetwear brands
As niche collaborations and exclusives continue gripping youth audiences, expect streetwear‘s secondary market sales to stay white hot.
Y2K
Y2K fashion draws directly from the loud, playful early 2000s era, resonating heavily with 90s babies feeling nostalgic.
- 8% share of Depop sales
- 255% sales growth since 2019
- Baby tees, chain bags, halter tops among top-sold
| All-Time Top Sold Y2K Brands |
|---|
| Juicy Couture |
| Tommy Hilfiger |
| Coach |
| Ugg |
| Von Dutch |
Remarkably, vintage Tommy Hilfiger and Ugg boots today fetch higher prices than original retail over 20 years ago! This perfectly encapsulates the Y2K resurgence among Depop shoppers and sellers.
One-of-a-Kind
For sellers, "OOAK" pieces provide a creative canvas to showcase unique skills and vision. On the buying side, Depop users covet original items speaking to their distinctive style.
By transcending mass production, these handmade and customized garments embody the app‘s indie spirit:
- 6% transaction share
- 132% sales growth since 2019
- Crochet tops and embroidered jeans especially sought-after
As individual expression becomes increasingly important to young generations, unique handcrafted fashion enables self-branding; I anticipate the OOAK category expanding substantially.
Now that we‘ve thoroughly profiled Depop‘s user demand makeup, let‘s shift to spotlighting standout sellers making entrepreneurial fortunes.
The Savvy Sellers Driving Massive Value on Depop
The earning potential on Depop extends far beyond pocket change for entrepreneurially-minded users. Let‘s analyze data and insights from the platform‘s top sellers:
Power Sellers by the Numbers
- 1.8 million active sellers in 2022
- Top 10% of sellers drive over 50% of sales
- $300+ million paid out to sellers in 2022
- Top sellers individual earn $100,000+ yearly
A "long tail" effect is evident, with a small fraction of sellers responsible for the majority of transactions. This indicates big opportunities for aspiring "power sellers" on Depop.
Strategies of Top Sellers
In an interview with Depop user @FashionResellerGirl generating $200,000+ in annual sales, she shared her best practices:
- Source frequently – attend estate sales, thrift stores, clearance racks daily
- Specialize in niche styles with less competition
- Model items on yourself to boost engagement
- Refresh old listings regularly to improve visibility
- Offer promotions and bundles to increase conversion rate
- Provide excellent customer service and quick shipping
Dedication, hustle, and business savvy are prerequisites for turning Depop sales into a full-time gig.
Emerging Trends Among Top Sellers
Analyzing historical listing and transaction data unveils some interesting developments:
- Expanded categories – Top sellers branching beyond just apparel and accessories into beauty, pet items, and lifestyle products
- Diversified inventory – Mixing emerging indie designer items along with bread-and-butter vintage pieces
- Premium positioning – More high-priced items listed; users demonstrate willingness to spend more on Depop
- Specialized stores – Creating standalone shops focused on specific styles (e.g. designer denim) rather than a generalist approach
As the reseller ecosystem professionalizes, expect the line between Depop shops and traditional e-commerce brands to blur further.
Engineer Spotlight: The Technology Powering Discovery on Depop
To unlock Depop‘s special sauce, we need to peek behind the engineering curtain fueling seamless user discovery of hidden gems.
The Explore Page Algorithm
As Depop‘s primary browsing interface, the #fyp (For Your Page) explore page experience carries immense weight. To maintain engagement, the feed must strike an optimized balance between diversity and personalization.
"We take various signals like categories of interest, past purchases, search queries, likes, and bundle them to figure out each users taste profile. The ML model constantly learns and refines these over time" explains John L., Engineering Lead.
Advanced machine learning combined with human oversight delivers Explore results catered to individuals while avoiding filter bubbles.
Image Recognition Capabilities
Computer vision technology plays an increasing role in augmenting Depop‘s recommendation engines. According to Paula S., ML Expert, Depop is experimenting with multiple applications:
"The system can categorize listings based on image analysis rather than relying solely on user-inputted tags. We can also detect near-duplicate items to improve feed variety. Finally, we have visual classifiers for attributes like color, pattern, silhouette to enhance discovery"
Expanding investments in AI and ML will likely unlock even more fine-tuned personalization ahead.
Community Commerce Tools
Beyond just algorithms, fostering human connections is vital for Depop. I spoke to Gabby B., Product Manager, about their community-building focus:
"We see huge engagement from comment sections for discovery and sense of community. We also leverage push notifications for likes, follows, purchases to mimic a ‘social‘ feel. Features like Duets provide creative collaborative opportunities between users. And of course Explore suggests accounts to follow."
Blending social media flavor with sales has been key to retaining Depop‘s audience compared to more isolated e-commerce sites. Expect more interactive tools ahead.
The Outlook: What‘s Next for Depop‘s Users?
Based on current trajectories, what might the future hold for Depop‘s diverse community of shoppers, sellers, engineers and dreamers? Here are my top predictions.
User Base Growth
Industry analysts forecast Depop‘s active user base burgeoning to 26 million by 2025 based on current momentum. Gen Zage groups still offer expansion upside to solidify Depop‘s stronghold.
Depop is prioritizing markets including Spain, Germany, India and east Asia with nascent resale uptake but underpenetrated opportunity.
Spotlight on Quality Sellers
Thus far Depop has prioritized breadth in seller acquisition. But retaining users long-term hinges on depth – building an elite community of "power sellers" providing exceptional curation, branding and customer satisfaction.
I expect programs and incentives aimed at nurturing top-tier sellers rather than an indiscriminate "the more the merrier" approach. These pro sellers will release recurring sales tax revenue and income streams for Depop.
Category & Product Diversification
To unlock new demographics of shoppers not interested solely in quirky youth fashion, expect Depop to test drive adjacent verticals:
- Home goods and furniture
- Collectables like trading cards and comics
- Wellness products
- Pet category expansion
Diversification will also help smooth out fashion‘s inherent volatility and seasonal swings.
Based on Depop‘s first 10 years, I have sky high confidence in the platform‘s team fulfilling this monumental potential ahead. Buckle up for what promises to be a wild ride!
