Santa has delivered some gifts ahead of schedule this year as consumers reconsider their spending. Compared to prior years, more people are purchasing gifts, toy cars, and used jewelry. In the face of inflation and other financial strains, they are prepared to take the chance of disappointing friends and extended family in order to manage their budgets. Thus, the change is helping thrift stores like ThredUp and Savers Value Village. Although sales at these stores usually slow down over the holidays, they have taken action to lessen the stigma associated with used goods.
Shoppers pursuing secondhand gifts for the holidays
Approximately 1,800 American consumers were polled by eBay, and 82% of them stated they are more likely to buy used gifts this year than they were last. In a similar vein, almost half of the 8,200 American consumers polled by the National Retail Federation indicated they might purchase secondhand goods in order to save money this holiday season.
Carlee Wengel has adopted that strategy. She used to search thrift stores for gifts for her three and five-year-old daughters. In an effort to stretch a budget strapped by rising gas and grocery costs, she also intends to give used gifts to roughly a dozen friends and family members this year. She purchased thrifted toys for her daughters, including a Barbie jeep and a Paw Patrol playset. Her expanded list now includes some relatives who last year reacted with “kind of a weird vibe” when she gave them a hard-to-find used version of the Clue board game.
What people are saying
“I could go to a Target, a Walmart, a HomeGoods,” said Wengel, 33 years old, a stay-at-home mother in Olympia, Wash. “But my dollar is not going to go as far.”
According to Cassie Bousquet, who oversees the Goodwill store in Troy, New York, customers often talk about tariffs and growing expenses. “They’re like, ‘Well, I don’t think I can order this in time, I’m just not willing to pay the prices,'” she remarked. Bousquet added that customers are purchasing everything from bottle openers, wine charms, and decanters to dinnerware and serveware at her store in upstate New York.
For many years, the majority of American consumers refrained from giving used goods as gifts, and friends and family frequently saw them as offensive. With thrifting becoming more and more popular due to bargain hunters, that mindset has started to shift. Customers observe that items costing $40 new can sell for $5 when used.
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