COLORADO SPRINGS — “As regular retail starts to slow down after the holidays we kind of pick up,” said Bria Wafer who is the Assistant Store Manager at Goodwill’s, Kelly Johnson Boulevard store.
In our tight economy a lot of people look for deals at thrift stores.
Serious deal hunters know the start of the year is a good time to find extra inventory.
A lot of people tend to declutter just before the new year.
It may be getting rid of older items to make space for gifts received in December.
Others set resolutions to be organized which can mean getting rid of excess stuff.
“Just trying to declutter and finish the year on a good note,” said Goodwill Colorado’s Bradd Hafer.
For many there is also a financial incentive to do it before the end of the year.
“There's obviously a charitable contribution, tax deduction, that might serve as some kind of incentive for folks as well,” said Hafer.
Whatever the reason, donations increase at thrift stores and staff must hustle to keep up with donation drop-offs.
We have a system,” said Wafer, “So when we do start to get longer lines, we do have a lot of individuals willing to jump in and kind of help out. So, whether it's a very busy time or not, we do have individuals that will always move our line quickly.”
As Colorado’s population increases so do donations.
“Between December 2022 and December 2023 we saw an increase in donations of 5% year over year,” said Hafer.
At the Kelly Johnson Boulevard store, Wafer said they can get “300 to 400 donations a day.”
She also says a lot of store regulars know this is a good time to shop.
“We do have individuals that have shopped at Goodwill for years, so they know that after the new year, new product is for sure going to be hitting the floor right away.”
At Goodwill the donations and deals are also an investment in community.
“Our primary mission is to provide education opportunities, as well as training, particularly for vocation training, and career training,” said Hafer.
What is old to one person can be new to another and after the holidays there is a lot more of old to new thrift store deals.
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