According to industry sources and predictors, the future looks bright for thrift or second-hand merchandise sales.

A primary influence is said to be based on growing environmental awareness. People are becoming more cognizant of reusing and recycling as opposed to discarding and filling landfills.

ThredUp’s 2021 Resale Report contains research and data from GlobalData on the second-hand market. The annual report says after a pandemic dip in 2020, the second-hand market which includes thrift and donation merchandise is expected to double in the next five years, growing to $77 billion globally.

The pandemic is also said to have influenced thrifting and more recently the economy and rising inflation are adding to the increase in sales. 

Two thrift stores in Cochrane are cautiously optimistic about the rosy prediction for second-hand merchandise sales. Home Treasures specializes in housewares and Funky Little Thrift Store has a mix of products but clothing is a primary seller.

Home Treasures a not-for-profit thrift store for furniture and home goods items had a very good year in 2021, and manager, Caley Breeze says they are projecting to do the same or better in 2022. The closures and mandates were a negative factor but the fact that people were at home more had a positive outcome. Donations were up with more people at home going through their closets and basements and for the same reason, people were buying because they needed a change of scenery at home. 

The economy and the rising inflation rate are putting the squeeze on people’s pocketbooks. Breeze says, “It’s been a perfect storm for us, in terms of getting great donations in and seeing those donations go out as well because people are trying to save money.”

Rebecca Powers, who owns three thrift stores, one in Airdrie since 2012, Olds since 2014, and her newest one in Cochrane is just over a year old.  Powers, like all business owners, is battle-weary from the pandemic but is cautiously optimistic. The Funky Little Thrift Store’s primary sales are in clothing which according to Statista, was the top-selling item in secondhand stores in Canada as of April of 2020. Books and housewares followed second and third. Powers says, “It has picked up and I think with the inflation we are seeing more people as well now. The inflation is kind of really hitting people now with electricity going up and the food and the truckers can’t get here and so everything is just going crazy right now. I expect to see, within the next few months more people coming in just because it is getting so expensive.”

When it comes to clothing Powers says, “I really try hard to have the higher brands and for that sake alone I think we do well on the clothing. Just because it is so expensive out there.  So, the clothing is our biggest seller, and I don’t see that as ever-changing. The sales have increased for the clothing for sure.”

The pandemic has dictated what clothing people are buying. Powers says there has been a shift, “We don’t take as many office attire it just kind of sits, it doesn’t sell as well which is interesting of course. So, we try to go with the more casual and more comfy stuff.” Another interesting trend according to Powers is there doesn't seem to be a dictated fashion trend nowadays. People wear what they like for example numerous pant styles sell including boot-cut, slim-legged, or bell-bottoms.

Second-hand sales from many thrift stores including Home Treasures and Funky Little Thrift Store give back to the community by supporting various local charities. 

Home Treasures made an incredible donation of $215,500 from their 2021 sales that went to 28 local causes.

Powers says that her stores also give back a lot to charity which she says makes customers feel good about their purchases.

Second-hand merchandise sales benefit the consumer, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, and the community. 

So, if the projection of increased sales over the next five years is correct, everybody wins.

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