Depop, a website bought by the American e-commerce business Etsy earlier this year, acts as both a marketplace and as a social media site, with sellers amassing thousands of followers. Others use Vinted, the second-most popular site in Britain. Items from the late 1990s and early 2000s are the most popular on Depop. This is where sellers make the highest margins, said Jack Richardson, another 26-year-old from Manchester. 

He works full-time as an underwriter, selling items on Depop on the side. “I found a Versace shirt in a second-hand shop in Manchester,” he said. “I knew it was great, it just needed a steam. So I bought it for £3.50 and sold it for £60. To be honest, I could have sold it for £150. Either way, I have made a massive profit.”

Mr Richardson added that he also sourced his stock from wholesalers, buying second-hand clothes in bulk. But Fausta Mockute, a 22-year-old from Essex, had a more strategic approach for finding higher-end stock for her shop.

“It’s a mixed bag when you buy from wholesalers,” she said. “Instead, I will go to charity shops in expensive areas such as Chelsea in London, because wealthy people will often donate designer clothes.” She said she made  £1,200 a month after fees.