The other day, I received a comment on Instagram about my first blog post... that person suggested that my clothes should be sold for $1-2 (like in other thrift stores) and that this was why my business was not thriving.
I hope my honest and blunt response (which I’m putting here instead!) will also help people understand the realities of small local shop owners.
Comment:
I hope your store does well, but here’s what doesn’t make sense to me… when I buy second-hand (I go to small thrift stores in villages), I pay $1 per item, sometimes $0.50. So I wouldn’t pay $10 or more for second-hand clothing… That’s why I believe thrift stores like yours don’t do so well.
My Response:
I appreciate your comment… because it gives me the opportunity to describe my reality…
The reason we struggle has nothing to do with our prices. In almost three years, I’ve never had a complaint. But more importantly, we’re not just a clothing thrift store!
We offer a mix of secondhand and new products, including the kind of gear for parents that’s essential but we don’t use for so long…but more importantly, battling over-consumption, over-production and waste.
Every item we carry in the store is carefully inspected, washed, and displayed to create an amazing shopping experience, both online and in-store. My employees take the time to research EVERYTHING…taking into account retail prices, discounts, and the used market prices. We also list all items online in two languages… It’s a massive job!
So…what doesn’t make sense to ME, is assuming that all thrift stores are the same. Not everyone enjoys digging through overcrowded racks of clothing priced at $0.50 or $1.
I’ve never liked that experience, and it’s one of the reasons I created my store.
But to be fair, I completely understand that this is what a lot of people are used to and enjoy, which is why I conceived of our “Fill a Bag” sales for $25, where each piece often costs less than $1, and everyone leaves happy.
Comparing my store to a small village thrift shop is like comparing fast fashion to a local designer. These are two COMPLETELY different realities. I prefer to focus on the circular economy, quality, and service.
The reasons we’re struggling to survive are complex. They include a difficult commercial street, the outrageous cost of running a brick and mortar store in the city, unregulated commercial rent, wages, insurance, taxes, taxes on top of taxes, subscriptions, bank fees, electricity, heating, security… The list goes never ends.
I’ve invested a ton in my website but I don’t have an unlimited budget for online advertising, which makes me less visible. So I rely on my loyal customers and word of mouth and thankfully, they are incredible!
The real issue we are facing right now: as a society we prioritize convenience, instantly available products, and brands convincing us that we constantly need the newest, latest things… multiple times a year.
What we’re actually trying to do here is to normalize shopping second-hand for our kids. And this goes far beyond just clothing.
Many people choose our store to both sell and buy because they know we care for each item, from strollers to t-shirts!
If you've ever been to the store, you'll know that what we really put value on is a warm, welcoming environment, lots of luv, lots of attention and an important community presence that supports parents every day. ❤️
