Thrift stores have become the go-to place for many Canadians who continue to struggle with the rising cost of living. Inflation has changed how and where people shop, transforming thrift store shopping into a trend. “We have lots of families coming in for back-to-school shopping because it’s too expensive out there,” Jessica Vieira, store manager of a Goodwill store in Waterloo, Ont., said. “This is the more affordable way for people right now.” Although the store in Waterloo opened just over three years ago, Goodwill has been operating since the early 1990s as a nonprofit organization. Because it is a registered charity, it also means Goodwill is largely exempt from charging sales tax on donated goods. “We’ve designed our space to be very uplifting and welcoming. People shop with dignity,” Bev Kobe, president and CEO for Goodwill Ontario Great Lakes, said. Saving on everything from clothes to household goods and toys has become a necessity for many. “Seventy-seven per cent of Canadians are shopping second hand right now, and some of them are doing it quite a bit,” Retail Insider publisher and founder Craig Patterson said, citing an Angus Reid survey from 2025. “It’s becoming far more common, I think, in Canada.” “With the price of gas and rent goes up a little every month – it’s not bad for us, but your money doesn’t go as far as it used to,” shopper Louanne Bennett said. Social media highs and lows While some people are trying to save a few dollars, others enjoy the thrill of the hunt as they search through the aisles for hidden treasures. “It’s socially acceptable. Even before we had this inflation, people were shopping second-hand because they’re on social media showing their finds,” Patterson said. However, not everyone is enamored with what they discover at thrift stores. Goodwill came under fire when some people claimed the company had been selling items for more than face value. “Across North America, there’s over 150 Goodwill [local organizations]. They’re all individually owned and operated. Our Goodwills here in Ontario take pride in not up-pricing. We had a standard process in place that determines a reasonable and affordable price,” Kobe said. She said there is also a lot of work that goes into collecting and sorting donations, and they pay their employees above minimum wage. “We use our social enterprise platforms to hire people who are typically shut out of the labour market. We’re a second-chance employer,” Kobe explained. She said proceeds feed into the company’s overall mission, including funding upcoming sustainability initiatives. Some of those projects include taking damaged textiles and recycling them into a soil amendments for crops.
