Resale and Discount Momentum Is Reshaping Retail in 2025.
Off-price and secondhand formats are no longer niche, they are central.
From Margins to Mainstream
For years, resale and off-price were treated as safety valves, liquidation channels for excess stock or bargain bins for budget shoppers. In 2025, they’ve flipped the script. Consumer Edge data shows discount and secondhand outperforming much of general merchandise.
That shift carries weight: formats once dismissed as marginal are now reshaping how consumers define value and how retailers must design growth. Inflation has pushed shoppers to stretch every dirham and dollar, but the driver is no longer only thrift. Resale and off-price satisfy the dual demand for affordability and ethics, giving consumers cultural permission to spend less without feeling cheap.
Why Off-Price Works
Off-price isn’t about clearance anymore; it’s about curation. Chains like TJX in the U.S. or Centrepoint’s splash sales in the Gulf thrive by creating the sense of “smart shopping”, premium brands at prices that feel like insider wins. Consumer Edge data shows off-price retailers consistently outperforming GM averages.
The appeal isn’t just price; it’s the thrill of discovery, packaged in a model that signals savvy rather than sacrifice. Retailers who cling to rigid full-price strategies are effectively asking consumers to pay more for less excitement.
The Rise of Resale
Resale has shed its stigma. Among younger consumers, secondhand is now a badge of cultural fluency and sustainability. Platforms that guarantee authentication and quality have normalized resale, moving it from thrift shops to mainstream digital storefronts. Consumer Edge highlights resale as one of GM’s fastest growth engines.
In effect, secondhand has become first choice for a demographic that values individuality, environmental alignment, and affordability in equal measure.
What was once a back-channel is now a front-line revenue driver.
Regional Parallels in UAE and GCC
The Gulf is not immune to these forces. The GCC secondhand apparel market is projected to reach USD 1.3 billion in 2025, expanding at an 11.6% CAGR through 2035 (Future Market Insights).
Simultaneously, the value narrative is reinforced by private-label acceleration: Private Label Middle East 2025 reported a 229% jump in exhibitors since inception, with Carrefour, Amazon, and Boots using the platform to showcase owned-brand portfolios.
In a region where prestige retail has long dominated, the rise of resale and private label signals a shift: consumers no longer view value and sustainability as compromises, they see them as smart defaults.
Bottom Line
Resale and off-price are no longer side bets; they’re the new engine rooms of growth. They combine thrift with cultural capital, sustainability with discovery.
The lesson is blunt: retailers who still treat these models as clearance sideshows will bleed relevance.
Those who elevate them to the core of strategy will capture not only spend but also the cultural legitimacy that full-price alone can no longer secure.
Source: Consumer Edge - The State of Retail 2025: General Merchandise