US secondhand/thrift store market

From 2012 to 2022, the US dog treat market and the secondhand thrift store market grew in parallel at r = 0.9659, producing a correlation that perfectly describes the millennial consumer: willing to buy used clothing for themselves but only premium, artisanal treats for their dog. The priorities are clear. The human wears pre-owned denim; the golden retriever eats bison jerky. This is not a contradiction; it is an internally consistent value system in which sustainability applies to the owner and indulgence applies to the pet. The dog, one suspects, would prefer it the other way around.

US dog treat and chew market revenue grew from roughly $5 billion to over $9 billion between 2012 and 2022, driven by pet humanization, premium ingredient trends, and the expansion of specialty pet retail. The secondhand market grew from approximately $28 billion to over $50 billion, driven by sustainability consciousness, resale platforms like ThredUp and Poshmark, and the normalization of thrift shopping among younger consumers. Both markets are expressions of the same consumer demographic's spending patterns: values-driven, experience-oriented, and willing to spend more on quality in categories they care about.

When two retail categories grow because the same demographic is spending in accordance with the same values, they will correlate even without a direct connection. The dog treat and the thrift store describe the same consumer, not the same market.