The Christopher Columbus of
thrift shopping
How the white middle class is taking over
I know this place well. I’ve been here dozens of times before. But this time feels different. I’m not digging for treasures this time. I’m digging for data. I scan the warehouse, trying to figure out my first steps. I notice phenomena that I may have noticed before, but again, this time is different. I feel like I’m three years old, beginning to question the world. The first thing I take note of is that “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry is coming in loud over the speakers. I laugh at this a little because I was not quite wide awake at 9:36 on a Saturday morning. The next thing I notice while scanning the warehouse is how people have claimed their territories. I observe that people of color are digging for treasures on the left side of the warehouse, while white people go where they please. I ask myself why that might be.
Thrift shopping was once seen as something only poor people do. It was extremely stigmatized; middle and upper class people thought that thrift stores were “unorganized, dark, smelly and dirty” (Mitchell & Montgomery, 2014). However, many thrift stores have now undergone transformation. These transformations, along with times of economic recession, have drawn others into these spaces previously occupied primarily by people in lower economic classes. Once white middle-class women, in particular, experience thrift shopping, many realize the benefits thrifting gives. Shopping at thrift stores allows these women a way to shop with no remorse, as they did before the economic downturn of the late 2000s. This recession was the worst since the 1930s Great Depression; it was caused by the Financial Crisis of 2008 and continued into 2010 and beyond. It hit the whole world hard. Secondhand shops were the only retail industry that grew during this time. People wanted to find ways to shop even when having to tighten their belts. However, there are hidden consequences that linger under this “new found way.” With the increase of white middle-class shoppers, many stores are upscaling and becoming too expensive for the original people many thrift shops set out to serve: the poor (Mitchell & Montgomery, 2014).
SCHOLARLY CONTEXT
I looked into scholarly articles that have explored the topic I am exploring: who shops at thrift stores and for what purposes. The articles confirm the findings that I extrapolated from my observations. Many white, middle-class females shop to have fun along with economic, social and environmental reasons; people of lower socioeconomic status shop purely for economic reasons. I also used scholarly articles to bolster some of the claims that I was unable to make from pure observation because I had limited time in the field. While analyzing my data, I knew there was more to the issues underlying the habits of white shoppers. I started to make connections between when people started shopping at thrift stores and their economic status. If income was cut, they were more likely to begin to shop at thrift stores. For example, one of my interviewees starting thrift shopping when she went to college. Another started thrift shopping more heavily when she took a job that paid less than her previous job. I believed this had to mean something greater. I wanted to look deeper at how these motivations are used as justification for thrift shopping; this was how scholarly articles helped. The articles provide more data for the claim I am making: that motivations allow people to rationalize their participation in an activity that was once only for people of low socioeconomic status.
I looked into scholarly articles that have explored the topic I am exploring: who shops at thrift stores and for what purposes. The articles confirm the findings that I extrapolated from my observations. Many white, middle-class females shop to have fun along with economic, social and environmental reasons; people of lower socioeconomic status shop purely for economic reasons. I also used scholarly articles to bolster some of the claims that I was unable to make from pure observation because I had limited time in the field. While analyzing my data, I knew there was more to the issues underlying the habits of white shoppers. I started to make connections between when people started shopping at thrift stores and their economic status. If income was cut, they were more likely to begin to shop at thrift stores. For example, one of my interviewees starting thrift shopping when she went to college. Another started thrift shopping more heavily when she took a job that paid less than her previous job. I believed this had to mean something greater. I wanted to look deeper at how these motivations are used as justification for thrift shopping; this was how scholarly articles helped. The articles provide more data for the claim I am making: that motivations allow people to rationalize their participation in an activity that was once only for people of low socioeconomic status.
SETTINGS AND METHODS
The Goodwill Outlet in Saint Paul, Minn., is a unique experience. It’s a totally different experience from regular shopping – or even regular thrift shopping. Like Julie says about her first time going, “I really felt like a newbie. I didn’t know what I was doing.” This illustrates how walking into the Goodwill Outlet is not the same as walking into a department store. Julie goes on to discuss how shopping at the outlet store is a task that needs to be learned. The Goodwill Outlet is a warehouse that has lines of blue bins. The bins are probably 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. They stand tall, coming to my waist, and are about a foot deep. There are about 25 bins in the shopping area at any one time. In the back of the warehouse, workers load up the bins with piles and piles of stuff. They kind of sort the stuff into bins of clothes or textiles, electronics, holiday stuff, household goods, shoes and bags, and miscellaneous. In one bin, you might find a Halloween costume for a small dog intertwined with a toaster, or a winter coat and a pillow case. It is very random. These piles create mountains of cast-off stuff. Once the workers have finished creating Cast-off Mountains, they roll the bins out onto the warehouse floor. Watching them bring out new bins is entertaining: People line up alongside the new bins, waiting for the workers to say go. Then they swoop in like vultures, pulling through all the new stuff. The goal of people at the Goodwill Outlet is to get to the bottom of the mountain, not the top. Some people start at the top of the mountain and throw items from one bin into another in search of treasures.
The Goodwill Outlet in Saint Paul, Minn., is a unique experience. It’s a totally different experience from regular shopping – or even regular thrift shopping. Like Julie says about her first time going, “I really felt like a newbie. I didn’t know what I was doing.” This illustrates how walking into the Goodwill Outlet is not the same as walking into a department store. Julie goes on to discuss how shopping at the outlet store is a task that needs to be learned. The Goodwill Outlet is a warehouse that has lines of blue bins. The bins are probably 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. They stand tall, coming to my waist, and are about a foot deep. There are about 25 bins in the shopping area at any one time. In the back of the warehouse, workers load up the bins with piles and piles of stuff. They kind of sort the stuff into bins of clothes or textiles, electronics, holiday stuff, household goods, shoes and bags, and miscellaneous. In one bin, you might find a Halloween costume for a small dog intertwined with a toaster, or a winter coat and a pillow case. It is very random. These piles create mountains of cast-off stuff. Once the workers have finished creating Cast-off Mountains, they roll the bins out onto the warehouse floor. Watching them bring out new bins is entertaining: People line up alongside the new bins, waiting for the workers to say go. Then they swoop in like vultures, pulling through all the new stuff. The goal of people at the Goodwill Outlet is to get to the bottom of the mountain, not the top. Some people start at the top of the mountain and throw items from one bin into another in search of treasures.
There are typically two bins of books, with adult fiction and non-fiction, reference books and children’s books all mixed together. On one occasion, a man fills his cart with an assortment of books, pulls out his laptop and scans them with his phone to see if they are salable.
The shoe bins are frustrating. There is no worse heartbreak than finding a shoe you love and not being able to find its sole mate. The workers don’t match the shoes in the bins, so people fill their carts with a right or left shoe and spend hours searching for its mate. One man who appeared to be an expert told me his secret: go through a bins and toss everything that isn’t a shoe out of that bin. So belts, hats, scarves, and bags would all be removed. He said this would be the easiest way to find a match. I was successful in finding one match that way, but I didn’t use this method for very long. One must be persistent to get the pay off.
The warehouse is not well lit, and there aren’t many windows. The dust often makes me sneeze. At the back of the warehouse, there are a few pieces of furniture for sale. I haven’t seen many people actually buy furniture. Mostly, people sit on the chairs for a break. I’ve seen a lot of men or young children seated there while waiting for their families to finish shopping. I won’t deny sitting on a comfy chair and taking some field notes on my phone for a while. It’s a good place to get a view of the whole area, especially because you are out of the shoppers’ way.
The shoe bins are frustrating. There is no worse heartbreak than finding a shoe you love and not being able to find its sole mate. The workers don’t match the shoes in the bins, so people fill their carts with a right or left shoe and spend hours searching for its mate. One man who appeared to be an expert told me his secret: go through a bins and toss everything that isn’t a shoe out of that bin. So belts, hats, scarves, and bags would all be removed. He said this would be the easiest way to find a match. I was successful in finding one match that way, but I didn’t use this method for very long. One must be persistent to get the pay off.
The warehouse is not well lit, and there aren’t many windows. The dust often makes me sneeze. At the back of the warehouse, there are a few pieces of furniture for sale. I haven’t seen many people actually buy furniture. Mostly, people sit on the chairs for a break. I’ve seen a lot of men or young children seated there while waiting for their families to finish shopping. I won’t deny sitting on a comfy chair and taking some field notes on my phone for a while. It’s a good place to get a view of the whole area, especially because you are out of the shoppers’ way.
For my research, I went to the Goodwill Outlet in Saint Paul, Minn. I gathered data through participant observation, interviews and scholarly articles. I would walk into the outlet store and casually find someone to “shop” beside. This meant that I listened to their conversations or took notice of the types of things they picked up. I tried to look as if I were interested in shopping also so I didn’t look suspicious. I put some items in my cart but eventually put them all back, unless I found something I couldn’t live without. I asked people if they were finding good things or how they were related to their companions. I usually tried to be near people who were with someone else so that I would be able to pick up pieces of their conversation. After I gathered the data, I spent a couple days analyzing and coding the data. While coding the data, I looked through scholarly articles to help solidify my findings. It was a bit difficult to find scholarly articles because this topic hasn’t been studied in depth yet. What I did find contained great information though. I felt that I got lucky with that.
I felt very comfortable going to the Goodwill Outlet because I grew up thrifting and purchasing things secondhand. My mother and I constantly bonded over going to thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales and other types of sales like that. It was something I was familiar with. However, I wasn’t used to looking at the activity with a critical eye. I also wasn’t used to going there for a purpose that wasn’t shopping. It was difficult to not get distracted by all the clothes that I wanted to buy. I think what really drew me to this topic, though, was that recently I’ve taken notice of how much waste there is in the world. While growing up and participating in this social world did draw me to this topic, it wasn’t the No. 1 reason. I was amazed that this social world is created by the waste we have in our society. The contrast between how people view these items is fascinating: For many people, these things are items to buy on a whim, while for others this is the only way to purchase necessities. Some people view these items as having no more usefulness while others see their usefulness as just beginning.
My experience in the thrifting world did shape the story that I am telling. I probably noticed things that other people wouldn’t have, and I understood some of the insider things more quickly. However, I also maybe missed significant things because it’s a world I am very comfortable in and used to. The other part of my identity that makes me uneasy telling this story is that I shop for a lot of the same reasons that the people I am speaking about do. I am a white middle class female. I can completely relate to shopping for both economic and hedonic benefits. If I were to redo this project, I would get the perspective of someone completely different from me. I don’t want to tell a story that may not hold true, even if I believe it does through the research that I did.
ANALYSIS
I have concluded that there are many motivations for thrifting to white middle class women. Some that came up in my interviews were economic, relaxation and environmental. Mitchell and Montgomery (2014) refer to a previous study done by Alexander et al., (2008) that classified thrift shoppers into three main categories: Moderate Means, Comfortably Off and Urban Prosperity. They argue that Moderate Means shoppers shop primarily for economic reasons, while Comfortably Off and Urban Prosperity shoppers receive both economic and hedonic benefits. These hedonic benefits include fun, leisure and social interaction. These were all motivations I discovered in my research. The two people I interviewed would probably fall in the Comfortably Off category. Each interviewee expressed that they are shocked by prices in regular stores. Samantha expressed, “The fact that I can go to an outlet store and get pounds of clothes for dollars is amazing to me because then I don’t have to justify why I bought something.” Similarly, Julie talked about trying on shoes at a regular store but went on to say that “even with 40% off, I ended up putting the shoes back because I couldn’t see paying that much.” These illustrate how economic motivations enable these white middle-class women to still enjoy shopping when they can’t justify shopping at regular stores. Furthermore, many times at the Goodwill Outlet I would hear someone telling the person they were shopping with to just get it, because it’s so cheap. Samantha speaks more to this, “Sometimes I like to be realistic and get pants or whatever, but more often than not I’m getting things that when I look in the mirror they make me happy, regardless of if I will ever wear it or not, I don’t care.” This furthers the argument that while there are economic benefits, a big part of the thrift store experience is being able to shop without regrets.
I have concluded that there are many motivations for thrifting to white middle class women. Some that came up in my interviews were economic, relaxation and environmental. Mitchell and Montgomery (2014) refer to a previous study done by Alexander et al., (2008) that classified thrift shoppers into three main categories: Moderate Means, Comfortably Off and Urban Prosperity. They argue that Moderate Means shoppers shop primarily for economic reasons, while Comfortably Off and Urban Prosperity shoppers receive both economic and hedonic benefits. These hedonic benefits include fun, leisure and social interaction. These were all motivations I discovered in my research. The two people I interviewed would probably fall in the Comfortably Off category. Each interviewee expressed that they are shocked by prices in regular stores. Samantha expressed, “The fact that I can go to an outlet store and get pounds of clothes for dollars is amazing to me because then I don’t have to justify why I bought something.” Similarly, Julie talked about trying on shoes at a regular store but went on to say that “even with 40% off, I ended up putting the shoes back because I couldn’t see paying that much.” These illustrate how economic motivations enable these white middle-class women to still enjoy shopping when they can’t justify shopping at regular stores. Furthermore, many times at the Goodwill Outlet I would hear someone telling the person they were shopping with to just get it, because it’s so cheap. Samantha speaks more to this, “Sometimes I like to be realistic and get pants or whatever, but more often than not I’m getting things that when I look in the mirror they make me happy, regardless of if I will ever wear it or not, I don’t care.” This furthers the argument that while there are economic benefits, a big part of the thrift store experience is being able to shop without regrets.
I also conclude that shopping at the thrift store may not be as economically beneficial as some have convinced themselves. This is for a couple reasons: The middle classes have convinced themselves that shopping at thrift stores is economically friendly. However, this sparks more trips to the thrift store than the shopper would make to a full-price retail store, even trips that don’t have a purpose. Another thing thrift shopping does is add purchases that are not planned but are irresistible because the item is so cheap. Both interviewees expressed that they would often go to the thrift store without anything in mind to purchase, just going for the experience. When asked how often they went to the thrift store the answer was “as often as I can!” These examples further illustrate how middle class people see thrifting as economical, even when there are hidden costs.
White middle-class women were also able to relax while thrift shopping. This is unique to thrifting because one does not have to worry about prices, especially if she is not concerned about money. This is tied to economic benefits as well. I noticed that when thrifting was discussed, there was a lot of mention of treasure hunting. Julie says “I really do enjoy it, I find it relaxing and fun. It’s like a big treasure hunt.” People at the store would say, “you never know what you are going to find.” This was said when a mother held up a Big Bird-esque costume to show her daughter and again when a woman showed her friend a boot that had a chunky transparent heel filled with blue liquid and a plastic clown fish hiding inside behind neon green seaweed. However, that is part of the problem for people whose only means of shopping are at the thrift store. A person who may be a part of the Moderate Means category may need black shoes for work but can’t find them because you never know what you will find. They wouldn’t find thrifting relaxing in that case.
The environmental and ethical impact of thrift shopping also plays an important role in thrifting for white middle-class people. Recently, people have talked more about how they can shop ethically. Julie discusses this in depth, saying, “I’ve read and heard stories of workers overseas not making a lot of money and child labor being used. You know, I really ask myself, ‘Well how can I get around this?’ ” She sees shopping at secondhand stores as a way that doesn’t directly contribute to these unethical practices. This is resonates with a lot of people who try to do the same. Julie also talks about the amount of waste in the world by saying that “there’s just so much stuff. And then it’s just shocking to think about how much stuff is thrown away that could be given a new life. Like making yarn out of old t-shirts. There’s so much that’s thrown into dumpsters that could be used. It’s just a shame.” This speaks to how concerned people are about waste in a time when we are scarce on certain natural resources and worried about the environmental effects of some manufacturing processes.
While these motivations do hold true for people, the bigger reality is that people are using them as a justification to shop at thrift stores. These stores were once a place where many people never shop – or at least never admit to shopping. They were primarily for people of low socioeconomic status, not for people who could afford to shop at regular-priced stores. Now, because people can justify why they do something that was once thought to be only for lower class people, it’s rising in popularity. “While the average demographic for thrift stores used to be poor people, college students and serious bargain hunters that’s no longer the case” (Bennett, 2014). Now the average thrift shopper is low- to middle-class women around ages 35 to 55. It’s now trendy and hip to talk about or to participate in thrift shopping.
At the beginning of the economic downturn in 2008, people still wanted to shop. This meant they had to find a way shop while not emptying their pocket books. Many turned to thrift stores, (Bennett, 2014). But this also meant they had to start making it socially acceptable for people to shop there. A couple ways this happens is through pop culture, teaching others and bragging. Recently, television shows that glorify secondhand shopping, such as “Storage Wars,” have taken away stigma. On “Storage Wars,” sellers open abandoned storage units and people bid on them to get the rights to try to sell whatever is in the unit. Sometimes people will make a profit off the unit, or they may lose money. It’s become a cool, fun thing to do. Teaching others or bragging is another way to eliminate the stigma of second-hand shopping. Both my interviewees like to show others what the thrift store is like. “I pride myself when people ask, ‘Where do you get your clothing?’ It was just asked the other day and I said ‘everything I am wearing, except for my tights, came from a thrift store.’ I just try to display everything that I find so that I can get more people interested in this activity.” Samantha says that by showing others that there are great finds at the thrift store, she hopes to increase popularity. This is important to her.
Because of the rise in popularity among white middle-class women, thrift stores are catering more toward that demographic. They are opening thrift “boutiques” in upper-class areas. A thrift boutique is a store that sells items at higher prices, typically designer items. They also will sometimes auction off really nice items. These stores are cleaner, brighter and better supported than regular thrift stores. Because of these switches, the original demographics that thrift stores set out to serve – the poor – are no longer able to shop at many thrift stores. The Observer says that many of New York’s thrift stores are closing in the poorest neighborhoods because “thrift-shop chains are now trying to capitalize on their shabby-chic reputation.” Many thrift stores even see gentrification in certain areas as inevitable and are moving out or into these areas. This means that people who don’t have access to a car aren’t able to get to thrift stores for their purchases.
This makes me think about how the outlet stores currently somewhat cater to a certain demographic. Outlet stores price by the pound. However, the more you buy the less expensive it is. Julie says, “The price goes down the more you buy; it always makes more sense to buy enough so that you can get the cheapest price, which is 99 cents.” She even admits, “I’ve gone up and weighed my stuff and been 5 pounds short, so I’ll go back and find an extra 5 pounds because it’s like getting it for free.” This really does cater to people who have access to cars. Samantha takes public transportation, and she speaks to what it feels like lugging her stuff home on public transportation. “You have so many finds that you don’t have enough bags to take everything home on your bike. So you’re trying to find a bus just so that you can take all of your finds home. And you have clothes, just piled in your arms, covering your face and people are asking if you’re homeless.” The more that you purchase, the harder it is to get all your stuff home, especially if you don’t have a car. However, the outlet encourages you to buy more stuff by lowering the price.
CONCLUSION
When the white middle class had to tighten their budgets, many still wanted a way to shop. This meant they had to find a way to do it without spending a lot of money. Many turned to thrift stores. However, there was still a stigma attached to shopping at secondhand stores. The stigma wouldn’t stop them, but they had to get rid of the stigma. In order to do this, many white middle-class shoppers have told others about how cheap thrift stores are, how it’s relaxing, how it’s ethically and environmentally friendly. These are all qualities that are appealing to most people. However, this was something that people who had to shop at thrift stores for economic reasons already knew. With the increased demand for thrift shops among the white middle class, thrift store retailers are now supplying these shoppers with many options. This has left behind the first thrift shoppers. People who need to shop at thrift stores will soon no longer be able to do so because of rising prices or lack of accessibility.
When the white middle class had to tighten their budgets, many still wanted a way to shop. This meant they had to find a way to do it without spending a lot of money. Many turned to thrift stores. However, there was still a stigma attached to shopping at secondhand stores. The stigma wouldn’t stop them, but they had to get rid of the stigma. In order to do this, many white middle-class shoppers have told others about how cheap thrift stores are, how it’s relaxing, how it’s ethically and environmentally friendly. These are all qualities that are appealing to most people. However, this was something that people who had to shop at thrift stores for economic reasons already knew. With the increased demand for thrift shops among the white middle class, thrift store retailers are now supplying these shoppers with many options. This has left behind the first thrift shoppers. People who need to shop at thrift stores will soon no longer be able to do so because of rising prices or lack of accessibility.
People must demand that thrift stores continue their original mission of helping the poor. People must support thrift stores that carry out this mission. They must demand that prices stay low and that quality is high regardless of where the thrift shop is located. Everyone deserves a clean, cheap thrift shop.