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The Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries Inter-national, the nation’s two largest charitable resale organizations, report year-to-date sales increases of 6 percent to 15 percent.
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Beverly Larson of Westby looks through second hand clothing for sale at the Salvation Army Thrift Store Monday. Larson, who visits many area second-hand stores twice monthly with friend Rosie Williams of La Crosse, said “It’s definitely an economy thing. The Cost of New Clothes is so high.” PETER THOMSON photo |
“We have a lot of middle class people donating, and we also have a lot of middle class people shopping here as well,” said Tonya Whitewater, assistant manager at The Salvation Army Thrift Store along Copeland Avenue.
“One of the things that sets us apart, I think, is that people recognize the funds in this building stay in La Crosse,” she said.
Shoppers can find a variety of household items such as furniture, she said, and clothing for as low as 99 cents.
Proceeds from the shop help support the local Salvation Army shelter and soup kitchen, she said, and donations have remained strong.
“We do aim to keep our prices low, because we want to make sure people can afford to shop here,” Whitewater said.
The gains are even more pronounced in the private sector. In an industry trade group survey of more than 200 resale and thrift shops, nearly two-thirds of those businesses reported higher sales in 2008 compared to the previous year. The average sales increase: 35 percent.
“We see all walks of life here,” said Scott Weaver, assistant team leader at the Goodwill Retail Store on the city’s far North Side.
As a lifelong resident of the city, Weaver said, he recognizes professors and young doctors shopping at the store.
“They’re looking for a good deal,” he said.
Donations have been steady, he said, but the quality of items has dropped a little.
“The trend we’ve seen is people are holding onto stuff more,” Weaver said.
That means they have to sort through more to get better quality items on the floor, he said.
Consumers “can’t change the price of gas. They can’t change the price of food. They can’t make the stock market go up again,” said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. “But they can control the price of clothes and furniture by being a savvy shopper.”
