People of all ages and demographics are flooding local thrift shops looking for good deals, vintage clothing, and unique items that cannot be found anywhere else.
Even on a cool and wet April afternoon, you will find plenty of people at The Salvation Army Thrift Store on Wyandotte Street. Breton MacDougall is one of their loyal customers who has been on the thrift shop trend for a few years now. MacDougall is also a frequent shopper at 2nd Chance Thrift Store on Atherley Road.
“You can find old retro clothing for cheap,” he said. “You can find stuff that isn’t in any store and things that not a lot of people have.”
MacDougall is always on the hunt for retro jean jackets, Levis jeans, retro Nike apparel, and sneakers. While his success rate is high, MacDougall admits it’s not always easy to strike gold in a thrift shop.
“A lot of people go and don’t really take the time to go through everything,” he said. “I’ll spend two hours going through stuff at thrift stores trying to find things.”
It has never bothered MacDougall to wear used clothing. In fact, he enjoys the look and style of something that is well worn. The pride and joy of MacDougall’s second-hand findings come in the form of a ‘90s Nike puffer jacket which he found for $10. A similar jacket in today’s retail market would cost upwards of $300.
“A lot of people throw things away without knowing their value,” he said. “Usually when someone passes away, their family will just bring everything from their house to a thrift shop without even going through it.”
Angie Green-Hill, a merchandiser at The Salvation Army Thrift Store, says the shop is rarely quiet these days.
“We have a great following here,” she said. “We have weekly if not daily customers who come in.”
More recently, there has been a significant increase in younger people who visit the thrift shop.
“The trend of thrifting is really growing,” she said. “One of the main things is TikTok and social media. You see one influencer thrift shopping and that can set off the ripple effect of everyone doing the same thing.”
Green-Hill says younger people are after vintage clothing, and that doesn’t necessarily just mean clothing from the early 2000s and ‘90s.
“Anything vintage is highly sought after,” she said. “We are talking ‘20s and ‘30s, the older the better it seems.”
With price inflation and a tough housing market, younger people are finding thrift shopping to be their best option for saving for their future. It also makes people feel good to buy from a community-oriented store that gives back to the less fortunate, explained Green-Hill, who notes every penny made at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop goes back into community-oriented programs.
“It helps our Salvation Army food bank and our community response unit that puts a meal on for the homeless,” Green-Hill explained.
People also love thrift shopping because it keeps items out of the landfill, Green-Hill says.
Donations were a little slower during the pandemic, but things are starting to pick up again now, she told OrilliaMatters.
Susan Moore and Shelly Gardy, who co-own 2nd Chance Thrift Store, say thrift shopping is more popular than ever.
“The number one driver is the economy,” Moore said. “People want more for their buck because they don’t have the disposable income that they used to have.”
Moore says that years ago the typical thrift shop would only appeal to a certain demographic, which was typically a person of low income. Now, the store sees customers from all different walks of life.
“We have people coming in here that you would never suspect,” Moore said. “It’s nice to see.”
She said "word of mouth and pricing” bring people to the store across from Giant Tiger.
The popularity of sought-after items can change by the day, Moore says. One week it could be jeans and another week it could be books.
“It’s strange because some things can sit for months, but as soon as someone starts buying something, everybody buys it,” she said. “Some things just go in phases and there is no rhyme or reason.”
She said the 2nd Chance Thrift Store is a proud partner of the Orillia Lighthouse and Uplifting Blessings.
“If the Lighthouse calls up and says they need 10 pairs of men’s jogging pants and 10 sweatshirts, they just come in and get it at no cost,” Gardy explained. “The homeless rates have gone up so much and there are so many people that are homeless not by choice.”
Gardy says lending a hand to those in need seems to translate into business success from community members who want to help contribute.
“As soon as they hear that we support the local community, they say this is the place they want to be,” Moore said.
