The thrill of saving money: Maritime thrift shops seeing sharp increase in sales, new clients
It’s a hobby that’s seen a spike in popularity in recent years, but these days it’s not just trend-seekers looking for retro glam flocking to thrift stores.
More people are turning to second-hand shops as a necessity, trying to save some money under cost-of-living pressures.
“Everywhere they turn, they're seeing more for fuel. They're seeing more for heat. For all of those necessities. How can I make my dollars last better?” asks Ted Troughton, the Salvation Army’s managing director for National Recycling Operations. “When they come into a thrift store they realize that there's a lot of great products, a lot of amazing donations that people bring in and it's an opportunity to make that dollar go further.”
Troughton says the Salvation Army has seen a large and consistent increase in sales at their Thrift Store locations year-over-year, since the pandemic.
And the uptick in traffic isn’t just from their regulars.
“We're up from pre-COVID times, probably close to 15 per cent in our transactions and sales through our stores. So we're seeing, you know, quite a demand and quite a need,” he said.
Troughton noted they’re seeing the uptick in store locations across the country, but even more so in the Maritimes.
In light of the increased traffic, he says they’re looking for more donations – everything from clothes, accessories and footwear, to household items like dishes and decorations.
The Salvation Army says they’re able to ensure about 95 per cent of what’s donated avoids the landfill – last year, that amounted to about 85 million tonnes saved.
It’s not the only second-hand location seeing an increase.
Furniture at a thrift store. (Laura Brown/CTV Atlantic)New Brunswick’s Habitat for Humanity’s CEO says business at their three Restore locations has also seen a consistent uptick in sales.
Already in 2024, Peter Kendall says they’re experiencing between five and 20 per cent – and that’s on top of the increases they saw last year.
“There's no question there’s more need for affordable options for individuals that just need a decent piece of furniture or they need to do some renovations to their home,” he said. “And this gives a much more affordable way to do that.”
And the money goes back into the community.
Clothing at a thrift store. (Laura Brown/CTV Atlantic)
The Restores cover all staff and overhead costs so that 100 per cent of monetary donations can be put toward building homes for those in need.
Which are also in more demand.
“We're currently in the process of finishing five homes, two here in Fredericton, two in Miramichi and one in Moncton. And then we have eight more homes that we're starting here over the next couple of weeks and months,” he said.
They’re also planning to open a fourth Restore location in Miramichi this year.
For the Salvation Army, the money goes toward a number of social programs.
“Whether it's rehabilitation or food banks, modern slavery, human trafficking prevention, all those areas. So when you're donating and you're shopping at our thrift stores, you're creating funds for that,” Troughton said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Israel sends tanks into Rafah on raids amid Gaza-wide offensive
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground operation in the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials have warned Israel to avoid.
Five more Ontario school boards join lawsuit against social media platforms
Five additional Ontario school boards and two independent private schools have joined a lawsuit against the owners of multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.