Sales Up by 40% At Thrift Stores and Second -Hand Clothing Outlets

While retailers are suffering, and struggling to get paying customers through the doors due to the abysmal economy , another segment of the retailing industry are enjoying a 40% increase in sales according to a News Report quoting economists, and verified locally by the reporter who interviewed some of the thrift stores' staff and customers .

When I moved to the Palm Springs area 5 years ago, I was surprised at the number of Consignment Stores , Second -Hand stores & Thrift Stores in the area.

You can find a consignment store or a thrift store on almost every major street. The chance of driving by one of these stores on hwy 111 ( our major thoroughfare) versus driving by a Starbucks could be 4 to 1.

A good number of these stores are privately owned , but the majority are owned by non-profit organizations .

As our middle class erodes further and further with every economic downturn, and disparity in our society widens, opening Second- Hand Stores could become the next boom in business opportunities.