Looking for something to wear to her communication studies honor society induction at Endicott last fall, Lucy Kratman ’26 turned to one of her favorite pastimes. Accompanied by a friend, Kratman headed to Savers, a secondhand goods chain with a location in Danvers, Mass.
Much to her delight, Kratman sifted through the racks and found a burnt orange Altar’d State romper in her size. The stylish one-piece still had its original tags and, at $13, was a fraction of its retail price of about $100. Better yet, Kratman could wear something—in her favorite color, no less—without worrying about how the purchase might impact her wallet or contribute to the problem of overconsumption she’s examining for her senior capstone. It all paired perfectly with Kratman’s status as an avid thrifter.
“If you get so wrapped up in the cost, or if you’re like, ‘someone else has worn this,’ you forget that it’s just clothes, and it’s going to help the environment,” Kratman said. “It personally makes me feel better to [buy secondhand]. You can really find good-quality clothes—and it’s fun.”
Kratman has memories from her childhood (as a triplet) in Lincoln, R.I., of her parents selling unwanted items on eBay or giving them to local collection centers, a practice that exposed her to the value of reselling and donating. She was in high school when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, coinciding with the rise of low-cost, low-quality fashion brands readily available through online shopping. Kratman found herself caught up in the trend and soon realized she was spending money on clothes she didn’t really need, which made her re-evaluate her consumption habits. She embraced thrifting to combat those tendencies.
“Now that I’m in college and starting to think about moving out of my parents’ house, buying my own car, paying off college debt, I’m starting to realize I don’t need all of this,” said Kratman, who will graduate in December. “It’s a waste of my money when I’d rather just go to a thrift or consignment store and buy something that’s really good quality.”
That mindset formed the basis for Kratman’s spring capstone for her marketing/communication and advertising major. The assignment called for her to select one company from a list and then create a media plan for the brand. It was a no-brainer when Kratman discovered eBay among the options, believing the company offers an affordable alternative to fast fashion and overconsumption and aligns with her values around thrifting and sustainability.
With eBay as her model, Kratman is in the early stages of studying Gen Z’s attitudes toward online selling and money anxiety. She’s also examining how factors such as brand name, price, and influencer recommendations impact purchase decisions for a segment of the population raised with the daily influences of smartphones and social media.
In a survey Kratman conducted for the project, 35% of the 18-22-year-olds who responded ranked their overall stress level a seven out of 10, with worries encompassing everything from finances to an uncertain future.
“I found that number to be crazy high,” Kratman said.
When it comes to spending habits, for those who wished they had a better financial situation growing up, 44% said they view price as the most important factor when making a purchase, while 67% of respondents listed brand name as the most important factor when considering what to buy.
“In my research, I found that people my age are really struggling with money anxiety due to the rising cost of living, and that was what I wanted to base my entire campaign and research on,” said Kratman, who also writes about the topic for Her Campus Media. “On the survey, I asked questions about how people identify their financial situation and then tried to understand what they’re thinking when making a purchase. Are they looking at price or brand? Are they considering whether a TikTok influencer is telling them to buy it?”
In March, Kratman will travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to present two independent research papers (with co-authors Stephanie Moreau ’26 and Jewel Farrin ’25) on parasocial relationships in the media at the James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond Undergraduate Scholars Conference. Parasocial relationships, she explained, are connections consumers form with influencers or celebrities through social media. Though superficial, the relationships can impact real choices.
“People are seeing influencers their age wearing these great clothes or certain styles and thinking, ‘I want that,’” Kratman explained. “But if you’re looking at a celebrity in Hollywood compared to a college student in Massachusetts, I would assume your wallet is not the same. That can create stress.”
In the end, Kratman’s capstone and conference papers aim to provide insights that might help college students and others better understand and manage the effects of these parasocial relationships, leading to decreased anxiety. Kratman also hopes her zest for sustainability and thrifting might inspire others to adopt more eco-conscious consumption habits that support the circular economy. Beyond the practical and ethical benefits, Kratman simply enjoys the thrifting adventure, particularly sharing the thrill of the hunt for great deals and hidden gems with shopping companions, and wants others to share the same feeling.
“It’s always a blast to go with a few friends, get coffee, and go thrifting,” Kratman said. “I wouldn’t go thrifting if I didn’t have fun, so no matter what, it’s all about that experience.”