While thrifting is often a local sport practiced by passionate fashionistas in search of a great bargain, there is a whole new crop of options for online thrifting that allows the same dedicated shopper to scour the latest finds online and our team has collected the top 5 online sites for thrifting that actually serve a greater purpose to the economy than just spending money.
Many thrift stores are organized by charities to raise money for community programs for people who need assistance. These not-for-profit companies are often run by volunteers who donate their time and talents to the organization for the betterment of their communities. They accept donations from patrons and the general public, inspect, organize, and tag items with prices they feel the items will sell at and take the money.
In the past year, we have seen a surge in online e-commerce sites taking shape for these groups, which is a win-win for shoppers and volunteers, and the community all at once.
So, if your thrifting habit is now more 24/7 than just a few hours a week or a month, consider these top online thrift store websites that are volunteer-run and led by community-based programs benefitting a variety of groups:
Assistance League – The Assistance League is a national organization in 27 states whose programs are motivated to effect change in the community. While most of the programs focus on children and provide services such as school clothing, shoes, personal care items, school supplies, and in some chapters, dental services, Assistance League chapters offer programs and services that touch every age group.
Neat Repeats – Local resale stores in Orland Park – Illinois; Neat Repeats is part of an amazing community of volunteers who directly impact the Crisis Center. 100% of their proceeds fund services go to victims of domestic violence.
Inova Treasure Troves – A community resale store in support of the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. Purchases and donations provide funds to support the programs and services of Inova’s non-profit medical.
There are many more e-commerce thrifting platforms out there, but these 3 have the unique distinction to be all volunteer-run and led with 100% of the proceeds going to programs in their immediate communities.
Aravenda can help you take your non-profit thrift to reach more customers in a matter of a few days – book a time to discuss your project here.
Remember, you don’t need to have a brick-and-mortar location to raise money by selling donated items anymore. It’s possible to do all that online with your own website. Our e-commerce inventory management software promotes your products across the Internet with just a few clicks with our custom Shopify integration.
Check out our new QuickStart Guide for Brick-and-Mortar Stores and for an online shop or start your free trial today.