Do You or Would you Shop At Thrift Stores?

@ArishMell hmmm not sure either. but it counts!

@ArishMell I believe they are one of the same. Most Thrift Stores are tied to a 501c3 charity.

@Iwillwait I don't know if America or other countries have similar, but Britain has two distinct streams of shops selling low-cost goods; one new, the other second-hand.

One is the commercial chains like Aldi, Poundland and Lidl. Apart perhaps from occasionally [i]supporting [/i]one or another major charity they are not charities, and not connected to any charity.

These employ all-paid staff and sell wide ranges of goods, brand-new but at modest prices.


The other is the large number and range of charity shops, fund-raisers for national or local charities.

Staffed mainly by unpaid volunteers, they sell almost entirely second-hand clothes and household goods donated by members of the public. Their new goods are limited to a few small items like greetings cards.

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Two exceptions among the national charities are the National Trust (land and buildings conservation); and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (life-saving at sea). These raise money in various ways but this includes selling souvenirs, books etc., from gift-shops in the properties (NT) and mail/Internet order (RNLI). Not "high Street" shops though some lifeboat stations have gift-shops in them.

@ArishMell we have Aldi's over here now. and our charity/thrift stores depend on what area they are in. some can be very pricey

@ArishMell We "U.S.A.," have independently owned Thrift Stores that are typically tied to a specific Charity or Church where the proceeds go to fund, their Organizations. One thrift store I frequent funds a Food Shelf (which gives food to those who need it's like a grocery store), the other I frequent funds homelessness and Veterans dental.

@Iwillwait Ah, similar idea then.

Churches here don't have high-street shops as such, though some cathedrals have full cafeterias within their buildings. Their local fund-raising is by donations and bequests, and by hosting events such as concerts and organ-recitals in the church itself, using the church hall for their own events (coffee mornings are a popular one) or letting it out to other community voluntary organisations; and in Summer, many hold an Annual Fete, usually in the church grounds.

This sort of fund-raising is not usually for the institution as such, not for the major sects anyway, as they have large national investment plans; but very often is for repairs and maintenance of buildings that can be anything up to about 900 years old. Or for overhauling the organ or the bells.

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Sometimes the supermarkets here have an equivalent to the 'Food Shelf', stocked by donations from customers or staff. I think this food goes to the more formal "food banks" for needy people, run by volunteers.