Now’s the time to start thinking about a New Year’s resolution, so why not resolve to help others by shopping for secondhand clothing at Goodwill stores?
“Studies show that more and more people are buying secondhand clothes for themselves, and also as gifts for friends and family members,” said Jaymie Eichorn, interim vice president of marketing and communications for Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina.
In fact, According to ThredUp.com, sales of secondhand clothing are expected to reach $51 billion per year by the year 2023. Moreover, according to a study by Accenture, 48 percent of respondents said they would consider giving secondhand clothing as gifts, while 56 percent said they would welcome gifts of this kind for themselves.
“And, unlike buying slightly used clothing from some online sites, you can be sure that the item you purchase at a Goodwill store is exactly the size and style you need,” said Eichorn.
There’s also something to be said for recycling. According to the EPA, the most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product often requires extraction of raw materials from the earth, and spending valuable energy resources for fabrication and production. The new product must then be transported across thousands of gas-burning miles.
“Buying secondhand items, especially clothing, saves money and conserves energy,” said Eichorn. “Even better, every dollar you spend at a Goodwill retail store goes to support local job training programs, which put people back to work.”
Goodwill stores offer customers home goods, clothing, furniture, and even designer items such as jewelry and handbags. “We even sell upscale art, collectibles and antiques, as well as new and nearly-new items from our vast inventory of donated goods,” said Eichorn.