More people are flocking to thrift stores as costs rise

As gas prices surge up to 48% and inflation pressures squeeze family budgets, shoppers are increasingly turning to secondhand retail giants like Goodwill to find affordable household goods and clothing.

Senior Director of Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota Kim Schultz says shoppers are coming in with a variety of motivations.

"People that resell, some people make that their job," Schultz explains. "They'll go and look for items. There might be others that are on fixed incomes, so they just want a great deal. Or think about people who antique. They just come in and they look for those hidden treasures, and they often find those."

She says while donated inventory and affordable pricing are keeping profits flowing, future demand will depend on whether supply chains can keep up with online secondhand markets.

But, at places like Elite Repeat in St. Paul, they are experiencing an influx of first-time shoppers.

"We're more in this for providing access to really great brands and high quality clothing than we are about squeezing every penny out of every buyer," says shop owner Monica Smith. "So yes, we could probably price things a lot higher. I mean, if you've gone to Target lately, a pair of shoes that cost you maybe $25 before cost you $42 now."

The U.S. secondhand apparel market has doubled from about $28 billion in 2020 to $56 billion in 2026.

Smith says the longevity of trend locally depends on people permanently changing their purchasing habits.