Thrift Stores

Sep 01

Recently I came across a website http://www.americasthrift.com and was convinced to post something on Thrift Stores. So, I did little bit of research and googling to come up with this article. A Thrift Store is basically a Retail store selling second-hand goods at reduced prices as to benefit a charitable organization. Thrift Stores purchases new and used items from local charities and department stores and provides additional, and often vital, funding for local Christian-based charities to benefit needy families and individuals. The ranges of items which are sold in a thrift store are clothes, footwear, CD’s, DVD’s, Home Furnishing, White Goods etc.

While going through all these details, the picture of thrift store which came into my mind was a small store having old goods arrange haphazardly and a group of unprofessional sales man selling the merchandise with no touch of Organized Retailing. But I was shocked after seeing a video on the America’s Thrift Stores website, check following link:

http://www.americasthrift.com/shopping_a_thrift_store.php

The stores are no less than an organized retail outlet with proper fixtures, ticketing, clear aisles, good atmospherics, assortment, customer service, lightings etc.

With rising gas prices and depreciating Dollar, popularity of Thrift Stores is increasing in America. Other benefits of buying from a thrift store are:

· Good Bargains

· Unique or hard to find items

· Keeps merchandise out of landfill

But there are few challenges with Thrift Stores. In a recent national study of thrift stores conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 69 percent of the stores were selling at least one type of hazardous consumer product. Many of these were children’s products. So, ensuring safety is a challenge for thrift store. (Check: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/thrift/thrftck.html )

- Rajeev Damani