Thrifting Makes Back to School an Affordable and Alternative to Fast Fashion

"I grew up thrifting. We never bought clothes brand new, " said FIU student Sofia Hidalgo, an avid thrifter and popular TikTok influencer. "I am getting all my clothes together and ready to start the next semester," said Hidalgo, showing media her haul from a $40 shopping spree at Goodwill Superstore to commemorate National Thrift Shop Day. 

Flanked by two mannequins dressed in Hidalgo's purchases, Goodwill South Florida CEO David Landsberg said one of the many reasons Goodwill shoppers keep coming back is that they can always find something unique. 

"You can find something that is real a real expression of yourself. Not only that, you can also find it for a very affordable price," said Landsberg." And everything you spend in a Goodwill store goes to fund a very important mission. That mission is to vocationally train folks who have trouble finding jobs in our community because they're either disabled or experience some other barrier to work," he added. 

In 2022, Goodwill South Florida gave 52 million pounds of donations a second life, diverting them from landfills. According to NARTS, the Association of Resale Professionals, thrifting has grown in popularity, with sixty-two percent of Gen Z and millennial consumers saying they look for items secondhand before buying new, as they search for alternatives to fast fashion. 

"Recently there's been an increase in secondhand shopping, in thrifting. We love to see that trend, because the more that people shop, the more people that we help, " said Lourdes De La Mata-Little, Chief Marketing Officer at Goodwill South Florida.