Thrill of a vintage hunt, social and environmental conscience behind rise in thrifting, shops say

EDMONTON -

Thrift shopping is on the rise in Edmonton, according to owners of local shops and the customers who frequent them.

“We have a lot of young people coming, and mostly they’re coming for vintage items because they want to be more unique in their styles, in their apartment, in their houses,” assistant manager of More Than A Fad Jaqueline Foisy said.

“They’re coming to thrift stores to get unique items – whether it’s clothes, furniture, household stuff.”

That includes Christmas presents. Foisy says More Than A Fad has seen more Edmontonians hitting all three of its locations as the holidays approach. She says the combination of supply chain issues and the pandemic hitting peoples’ wallets is definitely a factor.

“People are watching their money more than ever before,” she said. “So they’re going to go where their money is going to stretch.”

And when it comes to More Than A Fad, she recognizes there is a charitable aspect to buying secondhand. All of the profits from the stores go towards Adeara Recovery Centre, which supports and houses women as they recover from addiction.

“Not only are you getting a great deal and a great find, you’re supporting an organization that is making a difference in our city,” executive director at Adeara Lori Patrick said.

Helping those in need is not the only social issue driving a rise in thrift shopping, vintage collector Lamya Asiff pointed out.

“I do think a big part of it is realizing that we are buying and consuming and throwing things out at a pretty quick pace,” she told CTV News Edmonton. “It’s just unsustainable.”

Asiff has been thrifting for years and says she’s noticed it becoming a growing trend – even outside the holiday season.

“There’s never been more people selling vintage items in a place like Edmonton,” she said.

Asiff says she’s noticed a difference in how people view items that are being sold second, third, or even fourth hand. Where there used to be a stigma that these items are “lesser,” now they are viewed as valuable and unique.

“We all want to be unique…and I think people finally discovered that’s where you find those unique things – by going thrifting.”

“It’s like treasure hunting,” Asiff said. “It’s super exciting, you actually get a little bit of adrenaline when you walk through the doors of a thrift store and go, ‘What am I going to find today?’”

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