How thrift shopping's positive social impact helps people overcome barriers

As summer heads into full swing, the season's fashion trends are also at their peak.

For most people, buying an all-new wardrobe of hip summer essentials isn't financially feasible. However, for those who want to stay on top of the latest styles—or simply freshen up their existing clothing options—thrift shopping is a good bet.

These days, it's an increasingly popular pastime online. For example, the app Poshmark, which connect buyers and sellers of used clothing, boasts 25 million items for sale. ShopGoodwill, an e-commerce auction site, sold 20,299 items from Goodwill of Central Iowa alone in 2017.

But brick-and-mortar stores continue to thrive. According to statistics shared by the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, the U.S. resale industry generates $17 billion in revenue per year and sees annual growth of around 7%.

So why else is thrifting having a moment?

Thrift stores cater to fashion iconoclasts.

To Sarah Ekstrand, a retail marketing specialist at Goodwill of Central Iowa, which operates 19 retail stores (including one outlet store) in the region and online shopping through ShopGoodwill, it's all about individuality.

"People really want to be on trend, and they want to look as though they are paying attention to fashion," she said. "But they also want it to be unique. They want their own individual style or spin on that trend, whatever it may be, to show through.

"Thrifting has been discovered—or rediscovered—as a really good answer to that.”

Plus, because stores carry a wide variety of clothing—ranging from formalwear to workout clothes—mixing and matching styles is a breeze.

"People are getting more creative with shopping,” Ekstrand said, “because you can be when you shop at thrift stores. Thrift shopping is an adventurous experience, it’s never the same thing twice, and customers enjoy that thrill of the hunt. You can’t find that in traditional retail shopping.”

Thrift stores offer an eco-friendly alternative to fast fashion.

Thrift stores also offer a comparable alternative to so-called fast fashion, defined as "inexpensive designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to meet new trends."

Although convenient, this clothing is often economically made and wears out after a few washes, or else is so trendy that it's out of fashion after one season.

In many cases, these items end up being thrown away rather than donated.

To Des Moines-based Megan Evans, a fashion influencer who runs the blog As Seen on M.E., avoiding the waste created by discarded fast fashion is a must.

In fact, when she started traveling for work and needed to pick up last-minute items while on the road, she increasingly turned to thrift stores, as they aligned with her goals of being a mindful consumer.

"We're not always going to be able to buy every single thing secondhand," Evans said. "But [thrift shopping is] lessening the carbon footprint and it's a more sustainable way to buy things.”

"And it's much more affordable," she added. "You can find really amazing things, new or used, that do not break the bank. You truly feel better about purchases like that because you're not filling up landfills."

Many thrift stores also recycle old clothes that are either too damaged to sell or unwanted; in fact, Goodwill of Central Iowa alone recycled 22.2 million total pounds in 2017.

Thrift shopping reflects modern consumer tastes.

Thrift shopping dovetails with the consumer habits of millennials—a group fond of supporting local businesses and/or companies with shared value systems.

"Millennials are very keen to do something that helps other people," Ekstrand said. "They want that connection; they want to feel good about being environmentally conscious. They want to do the right thing."

Goodwill's donated goods retail stores in particular provide positive social impact in addition to solid bargains.

"Our retail stores generate revenue to support our mission, which is to provide skills training and employment services to individuals with barriers," Ekstrand said, adding that this revenue stays local. "All of the support goes to individuals in our community."

In fact in the past 10 years alone, Goodwill of Central Iowa has served more than 37,000 individuals, including placing over 5,000 in jobs as a result of that revenue earned in stores.

Thrifting makes fashion accessible to all.

Thrift stores also make it easy to find affordable work outfits or clothing for kids, especially since the latter group tends to outgrow things quickly.

Plus, consumers can dip their toes into current fashion trends without investing a lot of money.

Thanks to the outfits at the recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Evans said that yellow is a chic hue this summer.

She also shared that shirts with floral, palm tree or Hawaiian prints, as well as '80s-inspired oversized jewelry, are also in vogue at the moment.

These items are common at thrift stores, Evans said—a reflection of how much these businesses make cutting-edge styles accessible to all.

"You're able to really personalize your own style," she said of going thrifting. "You're able to bring a uniqueness into the things that you're wearing into your wardrobe. And you can feel good about doing it."

If you’re looking to know more about finding the right home design for you to decorate as you please, at an affordable price, visit Haven House thrift stores today.