A new report from the National Retail Federation recently showed that an increasing number of people aged 18-24 are going to thrift stores to do their holiday shopping, WMUR 9 ABC reported.
This new trend represents a growing awareness among young people that thrift stores are the best places to find quality products at affordable prices.
"A lot younger, high school, all the way up. We had a line out the door at 7:30 on Black Friday," Laurie Guillette, a worker at Corey's Closet in Hooksett, New Hampshire, told WMUR 9 ABC. "We open at 9:30. It was crazy all day long."
🗣️ What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
🔘 Cheaper clothes 🤑
🔘 Trendier items 😎
🔘 Reduced environmental impact 🌎
🔘 I don't thrift 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Many affordable modern products nowadays are not designed to last. Instead, they are designed to be mass-produced as cheaply as possible. Since these products are made cheaply, they often end up in landfills, where they emit harmful, planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.
Buying products secondhand is a fantastic way to get items that were designed with quality and durability in mind, all without contributing additional waste to the intensely polluting consumer landscape. It's also a great way to save money. By swapping just half of your yearly purchases with secondhand items, you can save up to $100 each year.
Thrift stores carry more than just clothes, and people are constantly posting the incredible steals they've found on social media. Some recent examples include a genuine opal and ruby necklace purchased for only $2, a KitchenAid stand mixer, and a complete set of brown lotus serving bowls for only $40.
While current advertisements might want us to think that we need to be buying brand-new, plastic-wrapped products, young people are breaking the mold and setting a new, eco-friendly trend. You can get better gifts this holiday season for a fraction of the price by hitting up your local thrift store, all while enjoying the thrill of the hunt.
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