The Target Market for Thrift Stores: Find Your Perfect Customer! | AMPLIFY XL (2024)

Do you own or manage a thrift store and are you looking to expand your customer base? If yes, then you will need to clearly understand your target market, its needs, its wants, and what will make them walk into your store instead of another.

Knowing your target market is essential to make sure that you’re marketing and merchandising your products in a way that will appeal to your customers.

The Target Market for Thrift Stores: Find Your Perfect Customer! | AMPLIFY XL (1)

So, who is the target market for thrift stores?

In this article, we’ll discuss who makes up this market and what kinds of people are likely to shop at a thrift store. We’ll also give you some tips on how to find your perfect customer!

What is a Thrift Store?

A Thrift Store is a retail store that sells products that are donated by people in the community. Thrift stores typically sell items such as clothing, furniture, household goods, and toys.

Thrift stores tend to be geared towards people who are looking for good deals on gently used items. These stores are often frequented by people who are on a budget or who are looking for specific items that may be hard to find new.

Some thrift stores are affiliated with specific charities, such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill, while others are independent businesses. What that means is that some thrift stores may have a mission to help those in need, while others are simply for-profit businesses.

Finally, thrift stores usually target people who live within a certain radius of the store. This is because most people are not willing to travel very far to find a good deal on used items.

Who is the Target Market for a Thrift Store?

The target market for a thrift store can be divided into the following segments:

  1. People looking for good deals on used items
  2. People who want to support a cause
  3. People who enjoy the thrill of the hunt
  4. People looking for the occasional antique or unique item
  5. People who appreciate vintage clothing and furniture

Let’s now look closely at each of these customer segments to understand what attracts them to thrift stores.

1. People looking for good deals on used items

People looking for good deals on used items are a classic segment of the target market for thrift stores.

Thrift stores often carry items that are charming and unique, but may not be the latest and greatest.

For people who are on a budget or who simply appreciate good deals, thrift stores can be a great option.

2. People who want to support a cause

As we mentioned in the previous section, many thrift stores are affiliated with charities. And so instead of giving directly to charities, some people prefer to shop at thrift stores as a way of donating.

For example, The Salvation Army Thrift Stores support the work of The Salvation Army by selling donated goods and using the proceeds to fund their programs and services.

So, for people who want to support a cause, shopping at a thrift store is an easy and convenient way to do so while also getting something tangible back in return.

3. People who enjoy the thrill of the hunt

For some people, thrift stores are like a treasure hunt. They never know what they’re going to find, and that’s part of the appeal.

People who enjoy the thrill of the hunt often enjoy sifting through racks of clothes or browsing through shelves of books, looking for that hidden gem.

For these people, the value of an item is often less important than the joy of the find.

4. People looking for the occasional antique or unique item

Another segment of the target market for thrift stores is people who are looking for antiques or unique items.

These shoppers are often willing to pay a premium for items that are rare or hard to find. They may also be attracted to the history and story behind the item.

For example, someone may be willing to pay more for a piece of furniture that is from a bygone era. Or they may find a coffee set from the time of the Second World War that is too good to pass up.

This segment could also include people interested in home decor who are looking for a one-of-a-kind item to add to their collection.

5. People who appreciate vintage clothing and furniture

A final segment of the target market for thrift stores is people who appreciate vintage clothing and furniture.

For these shoppers, style is more important than trends. They may be looking for specific items, such as a certain type of dress from the 1950s or a mid-century modern chair.

Or they may simply enjoy browsing through thrift stores to find hidden treasures. Either way, these shoppers are usually willing to pay more for items that they perceive to be vintage or stylish.

Why is Thrifting So Popular?

Thrifting has become increasingly popular in recent years for a number of reasons.

First, because of economic downturns in the past decade, people started looking for good deals on used items. Once they got used to it, even when the economy rebounded, they continued shopping for deals in thrift stores. Now they enjoyed it.

Second, the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest has made it easier for people to share their thrifting finds with a wider audience. This attracted those people to thrift stores who may not have considered it before.

Third, the popularity of shows like “Flea Market Flip” and “American Pickers” has helped to increase the public’s interest in thrifting.

And finally, there is a segment of the target market for thrift stores that sees thrifting as a sustainable way of shopping that is better for the environment because items are reused instead of ending up in landfills.

Summary

The target market for thrift stores predominantly includes people looking for a good deal on used items. But it also includes people who want to support a cause if that cause benefits from their buying at a thrift store.

Many people simply go to a thrift store because they don’t know what they are going to find. The thrill of the search is what attracts them.

Then there are people who are looking for hidden gems. This could be an antique or a unique piece of furniture or home decoration. These people may also love the vintage aspect of a thrift store and could be attracted to vintage clothing and furniture.

So, there you have it. These are the top segments of the target market for thrift stores. If you have a thrift store or are planning to open one, we hope that you found something useful in this article.

Thanks for reading!

The Target Market for Thrift Stores: Find Your Perfect Customer! | AMPLIFY XL (2024)

FAQs

What is the target market of thrifting? ›

Thrift stores tend to be geared towards people who are looking for good deals on gently used items. These stores are often frequented by people who are on a budget or who are looking for specific items that may be hard to find new.

How do you identify your target market? ›

3. Define your target customers
  1. Are your target customers male or female?
  2. How old are they?
  3. Where do they live?
  4. What is their marital status?
  5. Do they have children? How old are their children?
  6. What is their education level?
  7. What do they do for a living?
  8. What is their average income?
Mar 7, 2023

Who is most likely to shop at thrift stores? ›

More specifically, while second-hand clothing continues to be largely utilized by lower class shoppers, this has actually shifted towards individuals of a higher socioeconomic status—especially the middle class.

Who is your target market example? ›

Target Customers

A target customer is an individual that's most likely to buy your product. And it's a subset of the broader target market. For example, if your target market is female athletes between the ages of 13 to 25, a target customer could be female athletes in the specific age range of 13 to 16.

What are the 3 common target markets? ›

The three most common types of target marketing fall into demographic, geographic, or psychographic categories.

What are the 5 target markets? ›

Five ways to segment markets include demographic, psychographic, behavioral, geographic, and firmographic segmentation.

What is an example of a target customer? ›

Consider the popularity of the product

The popularity of your items is one of the most effective methods for identifying your target customers. For example, if you own an online pet business and more than 60% of your sales are cat-related goods, you just discovered some helpful information about your target market.

Who are my target customers? ›

A target market is the specific group of people you want to reach with your marketing message. They are the people who are most likely to buy your products or services, and they are united by some common characteristics, like demographics and behaviors.

How do you write a target market profile? ›

You can segment your target market along four key characteristics:
  1. Demographic: Who are your customers? Include information such as:
  2. Geographic: Where do they live? Include information such as:
  3. Psychographic: Why do they buy? Include information such as:
  4. Behaviouristic: How do they buy? Include information such as:

How do you market a thrift store? ›

More Ways To Bring In New Customers
  1. Host events. Some shops allow customers to host evening events and gatherings at the store. ...
  2. Advertise your inventory online. Meyer says many of her organization's member shops put a lot — or all — of their inventory for sale online. ...
  3. Offer items that appeal to the right demographic.

What do people buy most at thrift stores? ›

Instead of paying higher retail prices, many people are switching to thrift stores for their clothing needs. IBISWorld also reports that women's clothing and shoes accounts for about 60 percent of clothing sales, while the remainder is split evenly between children's and men's clothing.

How do you get good finds at a thrift store? ›

How To Shop At Thrift Stores For Secondhand Clothing
  1. Make a Plan Using Your Smartphone. ...
  2. Sell Your Pre-Loved Garments First. ...
  3. Dress for the Occasion. ...
  4. Shop With Cash Only to Avoid Impulse Buys. ...
  5. Save Time by Scanning the Aisles. ...
  6. Tailor Your Thrift Store Finds. ...
  7. Make Friends With Your Thrift Store Staff.
Nov 7, 2022

What are the 4 types of target market? ›

Demographic, psychographic, behavioral and geographic segmentation are considered the four main types of market segmentation, but there are also many other strategies you can use, including numerous variations on the four main types. Here are several more methods you may want to look into.

What are the 4 factors of the target market? ›

A target market can be translated into a profile of the consumer to whom a product is most likely to appeal. The profile considers four main characteristics of that person: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral.

What is an example of a target market strategy? ›

Targeting a specific group of customers based on their purchasing behaviors can be an effective strategy for growing sales. For example, a business might decide to target customers who leave items in an online shopping cart for a period of time before buying a product.

What are four 4 key ways to identify a target audience? ›

Geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral are the four levels of segmentation that can help define your business's primary target audience.

What are the 7 types of targeting? ›

7 Types of Ad Targeting to Help You Hit the Spot
  • Demographic Targeting. ...
  • Geographic Targeting. ...
  • Placement, Device and Platform Targeting. ...
  • Behavior & Interest Targeting. ...
  • Keyword & Topic Targeting. ...
  • Custom Audience Targeting & Retargeting. ...
  • Targeting Using Third Party Data.

What are the 4 types of customers? ›

  • New customers. Newcomers are always going to have a few questions about how things work but might not always know how to ask. ...
  • Impulse customers. This customer is quick to buy when something catches their eye, but aren't always the best at reading the fine print. ...
  • Angry customers. ...
  • Insistent customers. ...
  • Loyal customers.
Oct 13, 2022

How do you identify your best customers Target? ›

  1. Step One — Identify Why A Customer Would Want To Buy Your Product/Service. The first step in identifying your target market is understanding what your products/services have to offer to a group of people or businesses. ...
  2. Step Two: Segment Your Overall Market. ...
  3. Step Three: Research Your Market.

What is an example of a target market size? ›

For example, imagine that your organization markets learning resources to schools. Your research shows that there are 6,000 relevant schools in your country. You know that the average sale per school is around $50,000, which means that your market size is $300 million.

How do you write a target market sentence? ›

the target market for sth The key target market for this newspaper is middle aged professionals. hit/identify/reach your target market The Government's stakeholder pensions are failing to reach their target market.

How can I increase my thrift store sales? ›

How to Increase Sales at a Thrift Store?
  1. Important Aspects to Get Your Thrift Store Noticed.
  2. Attract and Keep Customers Moving Forward in Your Store.
  3. Liquidate Old Items and Keep Moving Inventory.
  4. Get Your Items Online to Increase Sales Through Added Traffic.
  5. Listing Online Doesn't Have to be a Struggle.

What are the benefits of thrifting? ›

3 Financial Benefits of Thrifting Your Clothes
  • Save Money. The clothes that you acquire at a thrift store are much cheaper than when they're brand-new with tags. ...
  • Give Back to the Community. ...
  • Invest in Lasting Clothing.
Feb 18, 2023

Why do people love thrift stores? ›

An obvious reason why many millennials and Gen-Z like thrifting is because thrift shops offer quality items at lower prices. For the young adults who are still making their way to financial freedom, thrift shops are a good place to buy clothing and other items without having to spend too much.

Can thrift stores be successful? ›

Final words. Thrift stores provide a great way to earn a living while channeling pre-loved products back into the market. With a bit of planning and innovation, you can significantly enhance your thrift store's conversions, reach, and profitability.

Why are people thrifting more? ›

“These days secondhand shopping is becoming the norm and, in many cases, preferred to buying brand new because of the wide variety of clothing available and the affordability compared to buying from a traditional retail store,” she said. Thrifting started to become a fashion trend during the pandemic thanks to TikTok.

How to thrift shop like a pro? ›

How to: Thrift Like a Pro
  1. Create a thrift list. Keep track of the types of items you're looking for in your life. ...
  2. Pinterest away. Not sure how to wear that beautiful vintage blazer with the shoulder pads and crazy print? ...
  3. Know your measurements. ...
  4. It's all about the hunt. ...
  5. Be flexible.
Mar 31, 2022

What do you call a person who loves thrifting? ›

Thrifter (noun) TA – Thrifter's Anonymous (Seriously, it's an addiction.) And, Sammy, I love “thrift release.” The thrift store is my sanctuary.

How profitable is thrift? ›

Thrift stores are not the most profitable businesses. Many are lucky to make $100 to $200 a day – just enough to keep the lights on. If you are trying to start a business with serious profit potential, a thrift store is not it. Most of these businesses are labors of love and/or charity organizations.

What is a primary target market? ›

Primary target markets are those market segments to which marketing efforts are primarily directed and where more of the business's resources are allocated, while secondary markets are often smaller segments or less vital to a product's success. Selecting the "right" target market is a complex and difficult decision.

What is the demographic for thrift stores? ›

America's Thrift Stores Employee Age Breakdown
Employees AgePercentages
Less than 18 years5%
18-20 years19%
20-30 years46%
30-40 years18%
1 more row
Feb 6, 2023

What is the target market of the goodwill? ›

Goodwill Industries should target millennials, ages 1834, because it is currently America's largest generation. They should specifically target Millennials with an income of $20,000 or more that are living in urban areas. These crafty Millennials enjoy fashion, trends, bargains, thriftiness and are considered frugal.

What are four common target markets? ›

The four target markets are geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral.

Why is thrifting so popular with Gen Z? ›

The top three reasons Gen Z are buying used clothing is to save money, to be more sustainable, and to have more fun shopping, the report said. The market for secondhand goods in the United States is expected to more than double to 82 billion dollars by 2026, from 35 billion dollars in 2021, according to the report.

Which demographic thrifts the most? ›

The report said that Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, shop the most at thrift stores, making up more than 40% of global consumers.

What is target market or demographic? ›

Target demographics represent specific characteristics of consumers that are used to identify your buyer's persona. Marketing teams analyze target demographics to create a tailor-made experience for their audience.

Why do people buy from goodwill? ›

Save Money

Refresh your wardrobe for less by shopping at a resale center. You can search through the inventory and find new clothes, name-brand clothes, and vintage clothes. These items are always priced less than what you would find at a regular retail store.

What is an example of goodwill in marketing? ›

The value of a company's brand name, solid customer base, good customer relations, good employee relations, and any patents or proprietary technology represent some examples of goodwill.

Does goodwill have market value? ›

Although goodwill is the premium paid over the fair value of an entity during a transaction, goodwill's value cannot be sold or bought as an intangible asset in of itself. Goodwill can be challenging to determine its price because it is composed of subjective values.

Why do people like thrift stores? ›

By choosing to buy secondhand clothing instead of brand new, you reduce waste and help the planet. In this way, thrift shopping is the ultimate way to live out the “reduce, reuse, recycle” motto!

Why is everyone thrifting now? ›

An obvious reason why many millennials and Gen-Z like thrifting is because thrift shops offer quality items at lower prices. For the young adults who are still making their way to financial freedom, thrift shops are a good place to buy clothing and other items without having to spend too much.

Why is thrifting a trend lately? ›

Many factors have contributed to the rise in popularity of thrift stores recently. The growth of ethical and sustainable fashion is one of the causes. Many people are looking for alternatives to fast fashion as they become more aware of how the fashion industry affects the environment and human rights.

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