December 31, 2025
tonodiaz/Depositphotos.com
Are Thrift Stores the Ultimate Treasure Hunt?
While online resale marketplaces such as ThredUp, The RealReal, and Poshmark are seeing healthy growth, Goodwill, consignment shops, and other physical thrift stores also appear to be thriving — and benefit by offering even more of a treasure hunt and social experience.
Thrift stores have posted consistent double-digit foot traffic growth in the second half through November, compared to a 2.5% traffic decline on average to traditional apparel stores — and a meager 0.3% increase found at luxury stores — according to Placer.ai.
Placer.ai, which specializes in location intelligence and foot traffic data analytics, said in a blog entry that the findings suggest “economic pressure, sustainability concerns, and the appeal of the treasure-hunt experience are pushing more consumers toward secondhand shopping.”
Placer.ai further found that while traditionally catering to lower-income shoppers, the thrift channel is seeing more higher-income consumers trading down. The company said, “These trends suggest that the thrift segment is benefiting from a more price-sensitive consumer base, as its trade area continues to broaden to include a greater share of higher-income households.”
Physical thrift stores benefit from many of the same trends driving the appeal of online resale platforms. According to OfferUp’s Recommerce Report 2025, the top reasons for buying secondhand are to save money, cited by 79%; followed by finding something unique, 54%. Sustainability is also often cited as a driver of resale.
Can Other Retailers Borrow Some ‘Treasure Hunt’ Magic From Thrift Shops?
However, a recent survey from Savers Value Village, the largest for-profit thrift operator in North America, found treasure hunting to be a “consistent draw” for in-store thrifting. The survey found half of thrift shoppers started thrifting because of the potential treasure hunt, with 80% saying they enjoy the treasure hunt of searching for items.
In-store thrifting was also found to be a “social pastime” shared with friends and family. Half of thrifters indicated they consider thrift shopping a social activity they like to do with others, with ~90% saying they spend more than 30 minutes in a store when thrifting.
In-store thrifting also enables a shopper to check the quality and fit of an item.
A Business of Fashion article from earlier this year, entitled “The Future of Online Resale Is Offline,” found Fashionphile, Rebag, and The RealReal opening stores — or partnering with department stores or other retailers — to reach thrifters.
“You can’t replicate the treasure hunt experience online,” Cynthia Power, founder of Molte Volte, a consultancy that focuses on fashion reuse and recycling, told Business of Fashion. “If you’re in person and you find the right pre-owned piece that feels like it’s one of a kind, that conversion rate will be so much higher than if you find something online.”
BrainTrust
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Is the growth opportunity around resale bigger offline than online currently, and will it likely remain so in the near future?
Does in-store thrifting offer a better shopping experience versus online due to the treasure hunt and social aspects?
Can mainstream retailers be doing much more to capitalize on the appealing aspects of in-store thrifting?
Poll
Loading …
I think that depends on how much the “hunting” is of value, versus actually finding something: which is to say, because the average value of what you run across is relatively low, it can make those rare finds seem exciting, but you have to enjoy the game enough to ignore the considerable cost of labour in doing so.
A multi-vendor ‘antique market’ has a much better success rate than a store based on apparel. The former I find fun if looking for unique/not made anymore gifts. The apparel side is tough if you are at either end of the sizing spectrum… a time waste if not even seeing items to consider.
I see thrifting as a dual-engine opportunity that thrives both online and in-store, rather than one channel clearly eclipsing the other. The offline thrift experience — the sensory, tactile thrill of a treasure hunt — remains compelling and often drives impulse sales in ways that purely digital experiences can’t fully replicate. Many shoppers still relish digging through racks, discovering hidden gems, and sharing those finds with friends the moment they happen, which gives physical thrift stores a social, experiential advantage. At the same time, the online resale ecosystem — epitomized by platforms like eBay — has proven that second-hand goods can reach massive audiences, unlock long tail demand, and support sophisticated seller followings that turn reselling into a business model in its own right. Each channel brings something different to the party: offline delivers immediate discovery and experience, while online delivers scale, selection, and community.
In that light, in-store thrifting and online resale are not zero-sum; they are complementary. Online resale expands access to rare items that may never hit a local store shelf, and it gives sellers the ability to curate, brand, and build a loyal audience over time. Conversely, physical thrift formats — whether traditional nonprofits, consignment shops, or mainstream retail take-backs — give customers instant gratification and the kind of serendipitous joy that drives repeat visits and word-of-mouth. A retailer that leans too heavily on one channel risks leaving value on the table; the winners will be those that orchestrate both, allowing shoppers to browse digitally, buy online, and also enjoy the tactile hunt on-premise.
Mainstream retailers can absolutely do more to capitalize on the appealing aspects of in-store thrifting by designing their spaces and processes around discovery and community. That could mean dedicated shop-in-shop resale sections with rotating inventory, curated drop days that feel like events, or loyalty programs that reward both selling and buying second-hand. Pair those with strong online resale footprints and integrated ecosystems (listings synced across store and digital), and you get a true omnichannel circular commerce model that leverages the best of both worlds. In such a setup, online broadens reach and builds resale communities, while physical stores deliver the treasure-hunt magic that keeps shoppers engaged and coming back.
The growth opportunity for thrift stores lies in the offline (stores) business. If a consumer is searching for a real treasure s/he will know it when they ‘see’ it. Additionally, the accuracy of inventory associated with thrift stores is not high so, looking online can yield only mediocre results. Shop thrift stores in person!
The in-store shopping experience is probably better online. The physical thrift stores are orderly and appealing just after an associate has cleaned up the mess that other customers left behind.
Other stores could capitalize on the appeal of thrift stores if they are willing to hang on the excess merchandise for a season or two, designate =e an areas for “thrift”, keep the prices ight and merchandise that area daily.
Secondhand retail is thriving for multiple reasons. Value is one of them. The excitement of finding unusual and interest products is another. Sustainability provides a third dimension. When it comes to treasure-hunting, stores are often easier for this – though new AI tools are making online easier and more compelling.
The treasure is in the eye of the hunter. Not sure it is so much value as it is finding something unique, fun, or interesting for which someone is on the hunt or happens to discover. Never know what you might find so that part can be fun if one likes to invest the time. Same is true whether online or in a store, although it certainly is less physical work to do this online, and as the tools get better for mining the data (using AI) this should be even more streamlined.
More Discussions
Did Holiday 2025 Mark a Shift Into the ‘Agentic Shopping’ Retail Era?
Salesforce data suggests that holiday 2025 was the retail period in which agentic shopping turned the…Should Facial Recognition for Theft Get Another Look?
Retailers and consumers are hotly debating facial recognition tech: theft deterrent, privacy overstepping, or both?Will Retail Bifurcation Persist (or Intensify) in 2026?
Recent Placer.ai data indicated a deepening divide within retail, at least pertaining to foot traffic.
I think that depends on how much the “hunting” is of value, versus actually finding something: which is to say, because the average value of what you run across is relatively low, it can make those rare finds seem exciting, but you have to enjoy the game enough to ignore the considerable cost of labour in doing so.
A multi-vendor ‘antique market’ has a much better success rate than a store based on apparel. The former I find fun if looking for unique/not made anymore gifts. The apparel side is tough if you are at either end of the sizing spectrum… a time waste if not even seeing items to consider.
I see thrifting as a dual-engine opportunity that thrives both online and in-store, rather than one channel clearly eclipsing the other. The offline thrift experience — the sensory, tactile thrill of a treasure hunt — remains compelling and often drives impulse sales in ways that purely digital experiences can’t fully replicate. Many shoppers still relish digging through racks, discovering hidden gems, and sharing those finds with friends the moment they happen, which gives physical thrift stores a social, experiential advantage. At the same time, the online resale ecosystem — epitomized by platforms like eBay — has proven that second-hand goods can reach massive audiences, unlock long tail demand, and support sophisticated seller followings that turn reselling into a business model in its own right. Each channel brings something different to the party: offline delivers immediate discovery and experience, while online delivers scale, selection, and community.
In that light, in-store thrifting and online resale are not zero-sum; they are complementary. Online resale expands access to rare items that may never hit a local store shelf, and it gives sellers the ability to curate, brand, and build a loyal audience over time. Conversely, physical thrift formats — whether traditional nonprofits, consignment shops, or mainstream retail take-backs — give customers instant gratification and the kind of serendipitous joy that drives repeat visits and word-of-mouth. A retailer that leans too heavily on one channel risks leaving value on the table; the winners will be those that orchestrate both, allowing shoppers to browse digitally, buy online, and also enjoy the tactile hunt on-premise.
Mainstream retailers can absolutely do more to capitalize on the appealing aspects of in-store thrifting by designing their spaces and processes around discovery and community. That could mean dedicated shop-in-shop resale sections with rotating inventory, curated drop days that feel like events, or loyalty programs that reward both selling and buying second-hand. Pair those with strong online resale footprints and integrated ecosystems (listings synced across store and digital), and you get a true omnichannel circular commerce model that leverages the best of both worlds. In such a setup, online broadens reach and builds resale communities, while physical stores deliver the treasure-hunt magic that keeps shoppers engaged and coming back.
The growth opportunity for thrift stores lies in the offline (stores) business. If a consumer is searching for a real treasure s/he will know it when they ‘see’ it. Additionally, the accuracy of inventory associated with thrift stores is not high so, looking online can yield only mediocre results. Shop thrift stores in person!
The in-store shopping experience is probably better online. The physical thrift stores are orderly and appealing just after an associate has cleaned up the mess that other customers left behind.
Other stores could capitalize on the appeal of thrift stores if they are willing to hang on the excess merchandise for a season or two, designate =e an areas for “thrift”, keep the prices ight and merchandise that area daily.
Secondhand retail is thriving for multiple reasons. Value is one of them. The excitement of finding unusual and interest products is another. Sustainability provides a third dimension. When it comes to treasure-hunting, stores are often easier for this – though new AI tools are making online easier and more compelling.
The treasure is in the eye of the hunter. Not sure it is so much value as it is finding something unique, fun, or interesting for which someone is on the hunt or happens to discover. Never know what you might find so that part can be fun if one likes to invest the time. Same is true whether online or in a store, although it certainly is less physical work to do this online, and as the tools get better for mining the data (using AI) this should be even more streamlined.