Thrifting kicks into high gear as January brings new wave of donations

The holiday shopping season may have come to an end, but for some Maritimers, now is the best time to thrift.

“We even start to see that right before the wrap up of the year. A lot of people will pre-emptively start making space for at home for new things that they know are coming in,” says Cherry Laxton, chief operation officer for Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

Laxton says Mission Mart in Halifax has seen that first-hand.

"Certainly, right in the new year we absolutely see that massive increase in donations,” says Laxton.

And that’s partly because of the successful trend thrifting continues to have.

"Thrifting is big business,” says Laxton. “Thrifting as an industry is huge these days, it’s grown tremendously."

Bruce Winder, a Toronto-based retail analyst, says he is not surprised thrift stores are seeing an uptick in both donations and sales this month.

“You can not only take what’s in your wardrobe and monetize it…but you can also pick up new items…for a fraction of the price,” says Winder.

Winder says thrifting continues to stay alive because of its positive environmental and financial impacts, and its unique nature.

Pam Punch, a long-time Halifax thrifter, says just about everything she’s purchased has been from thrifting.

“When I do go into a store to buy anything new, the prices just blow me away,” says Punch. “So, I will always end up back at the thrift store.”

"We certainly see the increase in need for those maybe would not necessarily have thrifted in the past, but have been pushed into that because of cost increases right across the board,” says Laxton.