Frugal Calgary shoppers celebrate National Thrift Shop Day aboard a party bus

Calgary thrifters hunting for the ultimate deal It was National Thrifting Day and about two dozen of Calgary's hardcore thrifters boarded a bus to hit multiple stores for deals.

Dozens of Calgarians celebrated National Thrift Shop Day in a unique fashion on Thursday.

The frugal folk hoped aboard the Goodwill Thrifting Tour Bus for a five-and-a-half-hour ride throughout the city, featuring stops at three Goodwill locations and Peacock Boutique in Kensington.

"I just love it. I love vintage," said participant Betty Maloney.

"I love getting some really unique pieces."

Goodwill Industries says business is increasing as bargain-conscious shoppers try to beat inflation with second-hand purchases.

"That’s one of the great things about it," said Goodwill Industries marketing manager Daoud Abbasi.

"You go to different stores and you always find something amazing. Whether you are looking for clothing, back-to-school or for a theme party, we have it all.

"Plus, most of our stores run promotions at 50 per cent off during the week, so its always nice to find something at an affordable price."

Dedicated thrifters on Thursday’s shopping tour say a low price is an incentive, but not always the prime motivation for buying used.

"It's really great that it's more sustainable than doing the fast fashion," said Amy Gerow.

Sam Schuster says the thrill of the hunt is what keeps her interested.

"It’s exciting and its a fun afternoon and its affordable fun," he said. "In this day and age, that’s getting hard to find."

"Also, I love when somebody compliments me on something, and it's like, 'Oh, I got it thrifting,' and 'Oh, I only spent a couple of dollars.'"

One of the people aboard the Goodwill Thrifting Tour Bus was actually a top-tier thrifter soon to be inducted into the Goodwill's 'thrifting hall of fame.'

Nancy Adie is a content creator known to her social media followers as Simply Styled.

Adie has over 100,000 followers combined on TikTok and Instagram who follow her to see her transform second-hand finds into glamorous home decor.

"People just love finding unique things that have character that you cant find anywhere else." Adie said.

"What I do, for example, finding a vase and turning it something completely different and just getting your hands to it and recreating it, its about upcycling and keeping things out of the landfill."

According to CPA Canada, a group representing the country’s chartered professional accountants, Canada’s second-hand economy is valued at $28.5 billion.

That number includes more than just thrift store sales, encompassing garage sales, donations and online marketplaces.