For the Aesthetic
How the rise of thrift stores is hurting the American lower class
Noelle Reid, Opinions Editor
As vintage-looking clothing becomes more and more popular, especially among teenagers and young adults, more of the population turns to thrift and second hand stores to achieve this look. For those who want to protect the environment and find a more ethical and sustainable way of shopping, thrifting provides an easy fix. It is no longer in style to fund fast fashion stores with large carbon footprints that use sweatshops to garner cheap labor to manufacture their clothes. While listening to 80s tunes on the Goodwill speaker system, it is fun to shuffle through racks to find unique (and possibly designer) pieces or something that can be upcycled into something more trendy.
However, as more of us take interest in the “hobby” of secondhand shopping, oftentimes we do not recognize the privilege of being able to choose to shop at thrift stores. While most upper and upper- middle-class people can choose between both--from new stores and second stores, many lower-middle class and lower class families do not have this choice. The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops found that the thrift store industry is growing steadily at around seven-percent every year, and many shoppers flock to the stores because of sustainability and the opportunity to create a unique style at a low price. As more wealthy people have started to shop at thrift stores to achieve a certain aesthetic, however, the prices of thrift store items have increased tremendously, to the point at which those who absolutely need to shop second-hand can not necessarily afford it.
Goodwill, one of the most well-known and successful second-hand store chains in America, has been found guilty of raising the prices of items at their stores. One online account described how button-down dress-shirts that were once sold for around four to five dollars, but their prices nearly doubled in recent years. When consumers confronted Goodwill with these claims, representatives of the company said that the stores only raised their prices so that they could give more back to the community. There has also been an increase in the use of online thrift-stores like Depop and Poshmark. Stores like these give young adults and teens the opportunity to easily become entrepreneurs, but that accomplishment comes at the expense of their unsuspecting customers. Most sellers on these websites buy clothes from in-person thrift-stores for cheap and then resell them individually or in bundles at a much higher price. Sometimes these items become so expensive that there is no way that anyone with a reasonable budget can purchase them.
The greed that has infiltrated the thrifting industry, something that should only have the goal of making sure those who are less fortunate can have access to a necessity, is vehemently disgusting and problematic. Sure, stores like Goodwill claim to be non-profit and to help the community by giving those who are struggling the opportunity to receive workplace training so that they can obtain a job. However, if lower-income families cannot go to thrift-stores to find business clothes so that they can make a good impression on employers, because the prices of dresses or suits at these stores have increased two or threefold, the stores cannot fulfill their benevolent message.
Those of us that are upper-middle class and upper class can choose to go to a thrift store to find the perfect piece of mom-jeans or a loud Hawaiian shirt that makes a statement. However, in doing so, we completely discount the fact that some people have to choose between buying an outfit and groceries. While we fight against fast fashion empires and unethical manufacturing tactics, we lose sight of how the CEOs of other large companies, including thrift-store chains, are still willing to cheat the public just to fill their pockets.
