How to Increase Sales at a Thrift Store
The thrifting industry is currently booming. As a result, more and more thrift stores are being opened, making it a highly competitive business landscape. If you want the best outcomes from your store, you should always be proactive in maximizing profits.
This blog will discuss the best strategies for boosting your shop's profits. But before we get into it, let's first answer: "what is a thrift store?" and get the definitions out of the way.
WHAT IS A THRIFT STORE?
Thrift stores are shops that sell second-hand goods. They are also known as "charity shops" because their profits usually go to charity. The items in a thrift store can be anything from clothes, furniture, appliances, antiques and collectibles.
People go thrifting for various reasons. However, the most common one is because shopping at thrift stores is a more sustainable shopping option. According to a survey, the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothes yearly, adding to the 26 billion pounds of clothing going to landfills.
Thrifting is recycling and therefore is more friendly to the environment. So knowing the answer to: “what is a thrift store?” is the first step to sustainable fashion.
HOW TO INCREASE SALES IN A THRIFT STORE
Thrift store owners can use various strategies to increase profits. However, the following are the most effective ones. Keep reading to see the best ways to increase sales in a thrift store.
1. Shop Wholesale at the Right Rag Houses
Rag houses are warehouses that collect clothing that has been given away. They are the ultimate supplier of the vintage clothing industry and are considered the backbone of the thrifting industry. Thrift shop owners can purchase 1000-pound bales of merchandise for their shop, which is a better solution than hunting down single pieces at swap meets and garage sales. The most suitable rag houses have one-of-a-kind pieces of clothing, shoes, bags and accessories, and that can make your shop one of the best thrift stores in LA.
2. Leverage Social Media
There is no specific type of thrifter – your customers can come from all walks of life. Therefore, to reach your prospects, you need to be where they spend most of their time: social media. Statistics show that over 4.6 billion people have some form of social networking profile. If your thrift store doesn't have a social presence, you're missing out on a lot of marketing and sales potential. Since you are selling fashion pieces, Facebook and Instagram are great platforms to start with since they are image focused, allowing you to showcase your fashion items in all their glory.
3. Run In-Store Promotions
Don't be afraid to run in-store promotions to get more people through your doors. However, you need to be careful so that it doesn’t hurt your overall profits. After all, you are offering your products at a lower price, and without the proper preparation, you might lose income instead of gaining it. Some promotions that won't harm your sales include:
- Loyalty points
- Flash sales
- Spend over x amount and get x off
BEST THRIFT STORES IN LA
While there are so many thrift stores in LA, a few are doing particularly well when it comes to promoting themselves and differentiating themselves from the competition. Some of the best thrift stores in LA that are worth mentioning include:
FEATURE RETRO ITEMS FROM LA VINTAGE
Be among the best thrift stores in LA with a reputable fashion supplier like LA Vintage. We offer a top-quality collection of vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories at wholesale prices! We are the largest source of shoes and bags in California, and we can provide you with unique and fashionable selections that you can add to the vintage collections in your thrift store. Email us at info@lavintage.com or fill out our online contact form to set an appointment.
Want to learn more about how COVID fueled an already thriving second hand clothing market? Read The Shift To Thrift blog post here.
