If you find thrifting boring or click “buy now” too often on TikTok Shop, you might be in luck. A new thrifting app has entered the chat! Even if you think you are just not thrifty – hear us out. 

Most thrifting apps tend to be formatted like regular clothing apps, showing lackluster clothes that people are reselling. You may snag a great item, but it is hard to imagine yourself in it. Teleport solves this online shopping dilemma while making online shopping different and better.

Not only is it the thrifting of the future, it’s the future of shopping. 

Teleport is a combination of two very popular apps within the Gen Z world: Depop and TikTok. By merging these two, Teleport allows you to see the items you can purchase worn and styled by real people. This gives more of a real-life feel to the clothes, rather than viewing them shapelessly hanging on mannequins or hangers like the thrifting world has become accustomed to. This interactive approach has proven to help sell things quicker, along with increasing users' engagement on the app because they’re getting style advice even if they don’t purchase something. Doubly, being able to see how items can be styled and imagining it on their own body does increase the excitement of purchasing an item. 

The app doesn’t only focus on the importance of styling clothes, but also sustainability as a whole. On both TikTok and Instagram, the CEO of Teleport, Danielle Vermeer, shares about the sustainability issues involving the fashion industry and opens up a conversation with other users on how to combat them. She uses her knowledge base from talking to experts to share about quality, overconsumption, the fabrics worth purchasing, and how the everyday consumer can see the quality.

These videos have helped to cause the account to go viral and pique the interest of many people. Now, the app has over 10,000 users and an ambassador program with avid thrifters (more on that later). As Teleport grows, Vermeer focuses on what users need, rather than the bottom line. Because of this holistic approach, the app is always getting better. A few weeks ago, Teleport experimented with AI to help create style bundles for users based on the image uploaded. Before that, a new ISO community feature was introduced so that users hunting for something specific could upload what they were looking for and other Teleport users could share similar items from their Teleport closets. 

Upon opening the Teleport app, you’ll be greeted by a “for you page.” On this page, you’ll see other users showing off their daily outfits and how they put things together, and you’ll notice that at least one of the items featured in the video will be available to purchase. While this might give you a TikTok Shop shudder, the fact all these items are curated vintage or second-hand pieces stops the fast fashion-induced trauma we’re all still reeling from. Over time, the FYP algorithm will only highlight products you’re interested in based on what you interact with. 

This user-based focus pulls heavily from the monthly ambassador cohorts, with some ambassadors staying in rotation. The turnover allows Teleport to adapt to users’s needs and gain new perspectives. These new perspectives and advances in the app help many young thrifters. Through the ambassador program, thrifters can access different jobs, internships, and experiences using this as a reference to adaptable industry experience. 

Are you interested in learning more? Download the app today!