US shoppers flock to thrift stores to skirt price – Business News
US shoppers are flocking to thrift stores as nervousness round President Trump’s commerce struggle – and its potential to reheat inflation – sparks demand within the tariff-free secondhand market.
Evergreen Goodwill, a Washington-based community of 23 thrift stores, stated its weekly foot site visitors rose 6% year-over-year within the first half of this yr — double the three% annual growth the community usually information.
At its flagship Seattle location — the biggest Goodwill store on the planet — foot site visitors is up 9%, bringing in 16,000 guests every week.
“Last Monday, we had a little over 80 people in line waiting to get in,” stated Kahina Boufnar, a manufacturing supervisor on the Seattle flagship who helps type by way of and price more than 57,000 objects for sale every week.
Weekly foot site visitors has jumped throughout Evergreen Goodwill, a community of 23 thrift stores based mostly in Washington. UCG/Universal Images Group by way of Getty Images
For months, commerce specialists have warned that Trump’s tariffs may raise costs. Wholesale inflation elevated at a a lot hotter-than-expected 3.3% tempo in July, whereas client inflation remained pretty tame.
That’s a signal that companies are eating the added prices – for now. Apparel costs elevated simply 0.1% in July. Still, costs for toddler and toddler attire soared 3.3% and footwear jumped 1.4%, in accordance to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Clothing is a notably tariff-sensitive class, as main textile producers like Vietnam, India, Cambodia and China face hefty charges.
“Everything is so much more expensive,” stated Melanie Haid, 26, a author and blogger at melwearswhat.com who lives in New York City. “Things are looking, I would say, pretty dire.”
“I would love for everything in my life to be thrifted if possible, honestly,” Haid informed The Post, including that she wants to save her money for dear requirements like rent and groceries.
Goodwill staff have observed clients snapping up more cumbersome furnishings and homeware objects. Getty Images
By February, half of clients stated they’re more doubtless to store pre-owned items to keep away from tariff-related price hikes, in accordance to a survey of 1,022 US customers by Smarty and Propeller Insights.
Buffalo Exchange, an Arizona-based chain of 41 thrift stores that features 5 New York City areas, stated commerce pressures have helped its business soar within the first half of 2025.
“I do think it’s probably related to the tariffs, the economy,” Jessica Pruitt, advertising supervisor at Buffalo Exchange, informed The Post. “Already, our business does well in economically unstable or tough times, because people of course start to prioritize value more.”
“It’s tariff-free, you know, which is great. It won’t be affected by those things.”
Buffalo Exchange stated it has seen a leap in business within the first half of 2025. UCG/Universal Images Group by way of Getty Images
Savers, a thrift chain based mostly in Bellevue, Wash., with 171 stores throughout the nation, noticed “double-digit growth in the US” in its second quarter, in accordance to CEO Mark Walsh.
Meanwhile, downloads jumped 13% throughout a cohort of resale apps together with eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, ThredUp and The RealReal, in accordance to information from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
Monthly lively customers, who work together with the app no less than as soon as, rose 12% during the identical period.
“[Growth] picked up, and it can be for a lot of reasons, most likely the economy,” Seema Shah, vice president of analysis and insights at Sensor Tower, informed The Post.
Manish Chandra, founder and CEO of Poshmark, which primarily sells secondhand clothes, stated he expects this trend to ramp up “as the landscape of tariffs and imports evolves.”
Savers lately noticed “double-digit growth in the US” within the second quarter, in accordance to CEO Mark Walsh. Getty Images
Thrift stores have already been welcoming a wider demographic of clients over the previous few years as younger adults and teenagers drive up curiosity in classic and “one-of-a-kind” objects.
“There is really something special to be said about taking time and sifting through racks and racks of clothing and finding that really unique piece,” Haid informed The Post.
Goodwill staff have additionally observed shoppers are snapping up cumbersome objects like furnishings and homeware more continuously as a substitute of simply clothes.
“The shopping carts now have all departments in it,” Boufnar informed The Post.
President Trump unveiled steep tariffs on many countries in April. AFP by way of Getty Images
Pruitt, who runs the advertising workforce at Buffalo Exchange, stated thrifting’s status has made an about-face.
“When we first started out, secondhand shopping – it definitely was not on people’s list. It was not top of mind. There was sort of a stigma against it,” Pruitt informed The Post.
“Now for a lot of people, especially Gen Z, it’s like the first choice and it’s cool.”
“Conscious shopping really emerged in a major way,” Hitha Herzog, chief retail analyst at H Squared Research and part-time school at Parsons, informed The Post. “You then add in the layer of tariffs…and that is the icing on the cake.”
It’s additionally a distinctive industry in its skill to stand up to commerce shocks like tariffs.
Executives at Evergreen Goodwill and Buffalo Exchange stated they don’t foresee having to raise costs or face shortages anytime within the close to future, as gross sales donations of secondhand togs stay strong.
“We are in a unique position to really have great confidence in the future,” Derieontay Sparks, senior vice president of retail operations at Evergreen Goodwill, informed The Post.
