Thrift stores are probably best known for carrying recycled clothing.
Thrift stores are popular places to shop for bargains on secondhand items. Although sometimes confused with consignment shops, thrift stores sell items that have been donated, with the proceeds from sales usually benefiting charitable efforts. Some thrift stores are part of large organizations, operating many outlets, while others are an individual shop, assisting a very specific cause.
Types
Some thrift shops, such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army are connected to nonprofit organizations, with proceeds from the sale of items going to charity. However, there are also private business thrift stores which sell recycled items and earn profits.
Merchandise
An array of products may be obtained at a thrift store, including clothing, furniture, computers, home fashions, bicycles and books. Some thrift stores offer donated cars and trucks for sale, as well as home appliances. Additionally, a large St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Los Angeles sells drug store merchandise, including shampoo, razors and cereal, with the aim of offering its customers a single place to purchase whatever they need.
Prices
Thrift stores are frequently known as places to shop for affordable items, with some even allowing customers to bargain for a cheaper price. However, some people complain that thrift stores charge more than the poor can afford, arguing that charities meant to benefit the needy should price their merchandise accordingly.
Goodwill
Goodwill Industries operates 1,900 thrift shops, with approximately 85 percent of the profits going to job training and assistance for the disabled or those receiving welfare. The organization was created by a Methodist minister in Boston in 1902, inexpensively selling donated clothing to the poor, as well as offering childcare for working mothers and providing showers.
Salvation Army
Another operator of charitable thrift shops, the Salvation Army, was founded by William Booth in the 19th century. The Salvation Army operates thrift stores to create new jobs, as well as offering people access to inexpensive shopping through donated items. Booth reasoned that less garbage on the streets would both prevent the spread of disease and help protect the environment.
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