Since it was founded in 1902, Goodwill has grown into an international nonprofit organization on a mission to “enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work,” according to their website. The enterprise is even more widespread than Buffalo Exchange, and now has 164 community-based locations in the United States and Canada.
These stores, founded for different reasons, are all part of the trendy thrift culture that attracts so many shoppers today.
When they first moved to their current neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, Joe Hilsenrad and Angela Homme, co-owners of Rerun, felt the need to start a resale store so that people would have a place to go with unwanted, yet valuable items like this colorful stock of blankets and linens.
The pants section at Buffalo Exchange provide an opportunity to browse a “wide variety of styles and brands on one rack as opposed to having to travel to multiple stores,” Frederickson says.
A shopper considers a Rolling Stones logo skirt at Rerun, proving that thrift shopping isn’t just about saving money, it’s also a way for shoppers to connect to the past.
