The 360 economy is big business for TikTok

800 quid. That's how much some Jelly Cat toys go for on eBay. Eight. Hundred. Pounds. How do I know this? TikTok. Or rather the boom in resellers who are showcasing their profits via TikTok.

Thanks to the cost of living crisis, people are turning to side hustles and alternative streams of income more than ever before - match that with Gen Z's growing concern over the planet and you've got the perfect recipe for a resurgence in charity shop sprees, car boot hauls - and eye watering profits on stuff that many of us would resign to the junk pile.

Users like @charityshoplife, who make a living from reselling, are shining a light on the circular economy by showing the profit margins they make - but also taking the viewer along on their trips to charity shops and car boot sales to show what to look for - and what to leave behind. A set of chairs that cost ￡15 and sold for ￡500 - or the bag of LEGO that made a profit of ￡56.00 - forgive me for rooting through the bags in my loft to see if I'm sitting on a goldmine!

I was starting to become a little disillusioned with TikTok around Christmas time - it seemed like the pile it high and sell it cheap ethos had been propelled into warp speed with the exponential growth in TikTok lives and discount vouchers that made TikTok the cheapest marketplace on the web for numerous different products. The rise in charity shop influencers has been the perfect salve - and the reseller marketplace has been a substantial benefactor. Vinted, the reseller marketplace founded in 2008, has grown from 1.2 million users in 2021 to a whopping 8 million in 2023. This isn't as surprising when you look at a recent survey from Unidays 27 million student members, which revealed 75% of Gen Z's are shopping secondhand and 37% are reselling their clothes.

This growth in the reseller economy shows a fundamental shift in the consumer perception of secondhand shopping. The stigma of wearing charity shop wares is long gone in favour of the kudos that wearing something original or vintage brings - not to mention the eco credentials that Gen Z crave. For consumer brands, this means they can no longer afford to ignore the pre loved economy - from discounts in exchange for donating pre loved items or a brand owned reseller marketplace - there are numerous options for brands to avoid the 'greenwashing' accusations that have plagued the likes of H&M and Primark in recent years. If I were working with a consumer brand right now - I'd be pointing them in TikTok's direction, and working the 360 economy influencer into my brand strategy.

For now I'm off to rifle through my daughters soft toy collection to see if I can fund my next holiday with Jelly Cat bunny's.