Shoppers head to thrift stores, looking for bargains

Throughout Massachusetts, thrift stores have seen a rise in foot traffic in this depressed economy.

The Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries of Massachusetts reported an approximate 12 percent increase in sales during the past year.

"Clearly, when you have increasing levels of poverty [and] when you have persistent unemployment, you're going to have more and more people who are looking for ways to stretch their dollar," said James Harder, director of communications at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries.

In Massachusetts, the unemployment rate has been relatively steady at 7.6 percent, well below the national rate of 9.1 percent, based on recent data. Newly released poverty figures have also highlighted the blow the economy has dealt. More than 46 million Americans are living below the poverty line. This is the highest it has been since 1993, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Harder said shopping at thrift stores has lost its negative connotation and has now become a unique and increasingly popular experience, especially among college students. "Maybe five or ten years ago, there was a stigma associated with shopping thrift," Harder said.

The Goodwill Store in Cambridge is one of several stores that have seen an increase in sales. Manager Liz Roman said when she was a young girl, she remembered Goodwill as a drop-off location for unwanted items. Today, she said she has seen conscious spending efforts firsthand. "People are now more knowledgeable about where their money is going and how they're spending." She said people could help their community by shopping at Goodwill with the money they are spending and save extra money for other necessary items.

When the recession started, Roman said she was concerned about a decrease in donations. "I was surprised and a little pleased at the fact that we seemed to be getting more [donations]." In fact, the Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries reported a 10 percent increase in donations over the past year. James Harder linked this increase to a sense of empathy among Americans in times of need. "When they donate to Goodwill, they're doing something good. They feel good about it."

In addition to helping people, increases in donations have been corresponding well with an increase in online activity. Harder has worked with his team to elevate awareness for donations by using social media to promote its website. Harder said Goodwill's website is now averaging 17,000 hits a month.

While the public may consider Goodwill as a store that markets household items, clothing, and electronics at affordable prices, its primary mission is to offer job-training programs to those with "barriers to employment." Roman said people who shop at Goodwill can know for certain that "the money they [are] spending here is going towards a good cause."