Pop Some Tags: August Busiest Time of Year for Thrift Stores

August is the busiest month of the year for thrift stores.
 
It just so happens August 17th is also National Thrift Shop Day.
 
Why are shoppers clamoring for stuff that’s already been used by other people?
 
“It’s cheaper for me,” says Elizabeth Erickson, a Junior at the University of Minnesota in Crookston. “That’s the big reason for me. Also it’s less wasteful.”
 
Now, it’s even cheaper for Erickson.

If you’re heading to campus, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch will give you an extra 20 percent off everything through Labor Day.
 
Erickson knows what she’ll shop for.

She adds, “I like clothes. Yeah that’s generally what I look for.”
 
The store is capitalizing on its busiest time of the year.
 
“With August comes back to school, obviously,” says Diane Rust, retail sales director for Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch.
 
At Savers, Francesca Bakken is hoping to find clothes and home supplies for her energetic family.
 
“With five kids it’s nice to find something that’s gently used or whatever so we don’t have to spend a lot of money, and have it still look decent and presentable,” she explains.
 
The store is celebrating on National Thrift Shop Day with 99 cent T-shirts.
 
“Spend less than half of what you’d spend at the store getting kids clothes,” raves Savers employee Jessica Thompson.
 
You never know what hidden treasures you might find at a thrift store.

The selection changes on a weekly basis.
 
Cheap clothes aren’t the only appeal for thrift stores.

Savers claims to save 650 million pounds of clothes from being thrown away each year.
 
Thompson says, “Compared to buying new you’re saving the environment.”
 
These stores become part of a cycle for loyal customers.

Come in, buy cheap goods, and help start the process all over again for the next customer.
 
Bakken adds, “I donate a lot so that other people can use the items my kids have outgrown.”
 
A shopping survey from Savers says four out of five people shop at thrift stores nationwide.

And oddly enough, the celebrity people would most want to thrift shop with is Taylor Swift.