More Canadians turning to second-hand shopping as Calgary thrift store sees rise in demand

A new survey finds more Canadians are planning to make their purchases at thrift stores due to affordability issues. Kathy Le reports.

CALGARY - More Canadians are choosing second-hand shopping as one Calgary thrift store says demand has continued to grow in recent months, driven by shoppers looking to save money and reduce waste.

WorldServe Thrift Store, which sells clothing, household goods and other donated items, has extended its operating hours over the past year after seeing an increase in customers.

“We’ve definitely seen a huge increase, I would say from March,” said Sarah Peters, manager of WorldServe Thrift Store.

Her observations mirror the findings of a spring Habitat for Humanity ReStore survey, which found three in five Canadians planned to thrift this year, citing the cost of living as one of the main reasons.

“The numbers are definitely increasing due to affordability of everything,” she said.

Peters said staff can often tell when shoppers are buying necessities rather than simply browsing.

“We’ll throw in like an extra item just to be like, ‘Hey, you know what? We get it. Life is not always easy sometimes, and you’re obviously shopping for a reason right now,’” she said.

But affordability is only part of what’s driving the growing interest.

Retail analyst Bruce Winder said attitudes toward second-hand shopping have changed dramatically over the past decade, particularly among younger consumers.

“The stigma around thrifting has gone away, especially for young people,” Winder said. “It’s a bit of a badge of honour now.”

Peters has noticed that shift firsthand, saying many shoppers now see thrift stores as places to find unique items, express their personal style and shop more sustainably.

“Between Grade 10 and 12, a lot more of them (are) coming. And then they’re posting about the cool things they found in the thrift store, like an old vintage T-shirt that had Shania Twain on it that’s probably 20 years old,” she said.

Among those browsing the racks this week were Calgary couple Billy Bourgeois and Madelyn Hynes. Like many shoppers, they initially came looking for a deal.

“Jean are super expensive. I have a pair in my bag that I just bought for like $15, and they would have sold for way more,” said Hynes.

For Hynes, however, the appeal of thrifting goes beyond affordability.

Shopping second-hand is also about reducing waste and giving clothing a second life she said.

“(I’m doing it) for the environment. That’s also a big thing for me,” she said.

Bourgeois agrees.

“We want to keep the Earth alive, and we want to stop throwing out so much clothing when we can just keep reusing,” he said.