Searching racks of mismatched clothing for hidden treasures at thrift stores is a favorite pastime among Gainesville locals. The hobby is an outlet for sustainability, style and economic saving. The growing trend of shifting to thrifting in response to rising inflation rates has forced thrift stores in the area to raise their prices.
For Major Ernest Hull, the Gainesville Salvation Army director and commanding officer, college students comprise a large part of the growing thrifting community due to financial considerations.
“There are always a lot of college kids,” Hull said. "Particularly when they find out that every Saturday they get 20% off of their purchase because they are a big part of our community.”
College students aren’t the only ones suffering from financial stress amid a pricier economic landscape.
“Last year we increased our prices by about 6, 7%,” Hull said. “Look, we don’t want to overprice it, but we do have to be able to keep the place open.”
Among the local treasure hunters is 23-year-old Rachel Edwards, a thrifter with over 10 years of experience. Edwards began thrifting out of necessity, she said.
“Growing up my mom was working three jobs and she couldn’t afford to buy me new clothes,” Edwards said. “The way we compensated for that was we would just go thrifting.”
Now, Edwards hunts at thrift stores to add unique pieces to her closet.
“For me, I enjoy the hunt, and some other people don't,” she said. “But, for me I like the uniqueness of it. I also prefer vintage, for the most part, and quality clothing."
Style aside, Edwards said thrift stores allow her to shop sustainably and cost-effectively.
“It’s such a nice way to reuse what already exists without having to go out and buy new stuff,” she said. “Also you’re just saving money on top of that.”
Thrifting makes a fun hobby, and for some an even more fun side hustle.
“I kind of do resale on the side so it’s also a nice additional income that comes in,” Edwards said. “It’s a great stress reliever too because I like just combing through the racks. The serotonin boost I get when I find something fantastic - it’s addicting at times.”
According to WPTV, Florida is among the top 10 states seeking side hustles. The number of Google searches for side hustles is 20% higher in the state than the national average.
Andres Gil Uruburo, a 19-year-old marketing and accounting Iowa State University student from Orlando, has been thrifting for a year and a half, inspired by his friends and videos on TikTok. Most recently, he joined the growing number of young people flocking to Depop to resell thrifted clothing.
“I’m a big fashion guy,” Uruburo said. “I’m starting to do it for finance too.”
Isaac Vellekamp owns Outreach Thrift Store, a shop in Gainesville open for over three decades. He said recent years revealed a similar trend in the store’s clientele.
“It used to be older families and lower-income families were the ones that predominantly went to thrift stores,” Vellekamp said. “But once it became fashionable to wear vintage stuff, definitely saw an uptick in the late-teen, early 20-somethings coming in.”
Outreach Thrift Store has also faced increasing prices of inventory, he said.
“Here in Florida, the minimum wage has gone up,” Venekamp said. “It’s going to be $15 an hour by 2025 which changes our cost of business.”
While the trend of thrifting may be at its height now, Venekamp is unsure if it will last.
“There’s definitely been an uptick in it and we’ll see how long that trend lasts,” he said. “Because, just like anything in fashion, trends come and they go.”
Contact Sabrina Castro at scastro@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sabs_wurld.
Sabrina Castro is a rising senior studying journalism at the University of Florida and a Summer 2024 reporter for The Avenue. In her free time you can find her scrolling TikTok or searching for hidden gems at local thrift stores.
