I read an article this morning on how well Goodwill stores (and ones like it) are doing in this economy. The main point was that these stores are finding a lot more middle-class customer base than ever before.
The Salvation Army store in Dublin, Georgia, located halfway between Atlanta and Savannah, has seen its sales increase by 50 percent this year, said store operator Gary Spivey. The comparative affluence of his new customers is obvious.
"We're seeing a lot more middle-class and upper-class customers we haven't seen before," he said. "Without even asking, you can just look in the parking lot (at their cars)."
… According to Alterman, 75 percent of the company's customers are college educated, with an average income between $50,000 and $65,000. Thirty percent of its customers have household incomes exceeding $100,000, he said.
Here’s one manager’s logic as to why this is happening:
Consumers "can't change the price of gas. They can't change the price of food. They can't make the stock market go up again," said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. "But they can control the price of clothes and furniture by being a savvy shopper."
Makes sense to me.
I was surprised how many people in my office shop at secondhand stores like this. After complimenting a certain piece of clothing they’ll boast of their $2 buy at the Salvation Army store.
Locally we have been doing more selling on Craig’s List and have been shopping for higher ticket items (ie a piano) there too. My brother and his wife just bought a practically new Temperpedic mattress and a new playsest for Ryann off the site. I'm looking for a second-hand kitchenette for Nicole for Christmas. At $200+ brand new I'm having a hard time swallowing it.
I’ve talked about the $60 runs on ½ complete seasonal wardrobes and a $12 Radio Flyer tricycle for the baby at the recent mother’s sale. I find this very economical for Nic’s clothes since she only wears them for a max of 6 months before she’s on to something new and will never return to that item.
While I justify shopping at places like this for her I don’t buy my own clothing at stores/outlets like this. I gravitate towards universal pieces like white blouses or floral printed skirts – the kind of stuff that is pretty generic and doesn’t go out (or in) of style. Therefore, if I spend $30 on a pair of pants from a first hand store (often a TJ Maxx type) I keep them for 6 years and feel I’ve gotten more than my value out of them.
It’s looking like Nicole will be a ladybug for Halloween – we just got a costume (The Children’s Place) from the babysitter yesterday that is too cute and on FREE loan!
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9 comments:
A ladybug will be a cute costume for Nic!
I agree with you, I prefer to buy my clothes from a firsthand store with the idea I will have it for a few years and thus get my money out of the purchase.
Rather than buying a new dresser, I did fix my old dresser and I am using that right now, so in some ways I am being economical.
I cannot purchase secondhand clothes. I tried to get over my *phobia* by going to the Salvation Army with friends for some constume help...and I thought I was fine even after my friend pulled the sanitary napkin out of the pocket of a fur coat she was looking at, but when it came time to try on the clothes, I broke out in hives before I could get to the dressing room and had to leave. I'd rather spend on clearance and coupons and get stuff for only slightly more than that and know that it is at least more clean than goodwill! I love TJ Maxx, and lately I've been really good about picking out clothes that a) I will wear a lot, and b) are pretty standard and therefore will stand the test of time style-wise. So after spending 3 years thinking "oh, I wish I had a pair of grey capris to go with that"...I decided spending 10 bucks on a pair originally marked 90 to be a good buy! Plus a pair of shoes I bout YEARS ago on a splurge yet only wore once, I now wear at least once a month :) That's my success story...OH, and I think that was the only thing I bought since April.
Poor Nic! I, too, have a phobia of second hand stores. One of my big problems with those stores are you can find obviously unwashed clothes there. Gross! Of course many are fine, but the ones that aren't - ew. Susannah used to joke that I needed a can of lysol just to walk through the store.
I'd rather wear my clothes from 5+ years ago than buy second hand. Afterall, by the time they're bought, used, and donated, they're about that old anyway.
I'm still curious what a "morning room" is, from yesterday's post.
Oops! Sorry!
A morning room is a kitchen addition to the back of the house. Instead of having one main room for a kitchen with a table in it, we got an extended island and an actual house addition that is windows on all sides where the kitchen table is intended to go. Searching for a picture of ours now....
Best Salvation Army store purchase ever: a pair of brand-new, never been worn Birkenstocks for $4 (you could tell they'd never been worn because of the suede on the insole).
Trey and I went to a resale shop this weekend looking for Halloween stuff. We weren't lucky there, but I found a gorgeous angora Banana Republic turtleneck sweater for $5 - probably would've cost between $90 and $120 at the store. Trey found suit that looked like it'd barely been worn for $12 - all he needs to do is get it shorted and it'll fit him beautifully. Of course our items will go to the cleaners as well.
The bonus is that the store's proceeds go to a local shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.
Most of my clothes comes from Target or New York & Co - both of those stores have clothes that can be gotten for a steal. Some items will last a long time and are more classic, and for those I'll pay more, but others are more trendy so paying that much less doesn't make you feel bad for only wearing them for a couple of years.
I don't have a problem shopping secondhand at all. In high school I scored a bunch of no longer made beer t-shirts that were a big hit throughout college. I don't do all of my shopping there (Target and other stores like that are so inexpensive), but if you look selectively you can find some great things. I know I've been given gifts then never wore them and donated them to goodwill...so I know there are things there that are perfectly acceptable to buy.
Soo, that would be like a "breakfast nook"?
Karen's room couldn't be qualified as "nook" Martha. It's definitely a "room". It's ginormous! It has all these awesome windows. I'm totally jealous. My house has more of a "nook".
Karen really needs to post a picture on here.
As for the used clothing thing, I'm not weirded out by second hand shirts, but I am weirded out by second hand pants. Something about the concept of it touching someone elses crotch. I know, I'm weird.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE shopping for used furniture. But I'm picky. So most of the time we actually just end up buying furniture that is on super clearance at like the Pottery Barn Outlet and such. I'm also not afraid of used kids toys or clothes. A nurse in Kendall's office asked us if that would be weird, and we told her we were totally fine with used kids clothes. Most of the time they're still in great condition and like Karen said, they grow out of them so fast. So we're definitely going to be going that route with baby M at some point. At first we're going to buy new stuff, because it's fun and we've tried forever to have this baby. So it will be spoiled...at least for a while. :)
You're buying a piano? Someone learning?
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