Retail Revolt: Why local thrift stores are thriving
Second-hand has become a first choice for shoppers
When Shirley Ehrhardt took over her sister’s little thrift store on Preston Avenue in the late 1980s, changing its name from Yesterday’s Clothes to Twice is Nice, she likely never imagined it would one day be generating over $1.5 million in annual revenue or moving into a new $5.5 million building.
But thrifting has changed dramatically.
In 2001, Ehrhardt brought in $122,000 at Twice is Nice, enough to cover her $29,000 salary and $31,000 to her favorite charity, the Jefferson Area Board on Aging, or JABA. At that time, the store was basically operating as a non-profit serving JABA, which serves area seniors, and after several more years of expenses exceeding revenues, JABA took a more active role in its operation. In 2015, Ehrhardt finally retired and handed the store over to JABA, which used revenues to support its affordable senior living facility in Crozet, Mountainside Senior Living. But after JABA sold Mountainside in 2019, Twice is Nice began operating more independently under the direction of former JABA CEO Gordon Walker, giving grants to a variety of organizations supporting seniors directly and indirectly. In fact, while we don’t know how Ehrhardt would feel about it (she died in 2024 at the age of 86), JABA was not among the 31 non-profits that received over $300,000 in grants recently. Still, with Twice is Nice bringing in over $1.5 million in 2025 for the second year in a row, and preparing to move into the former Reid Super-Save Market location on Preston Avenue later this month, there’s no question that Ehrhardt’s legacy remains intact for the foreseeable future.
“Thrifting is the industry of the future,” says Lori Woolworth, operations manager for Twice is Nice, “ …with great quality, unique inventory, and affordable prices around the corner from where you live.”
Indeed, as Forbes recently reported, the secondhand apparel market in the U.S. grew from $28 billion in 2019 to $49 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $74 billion in 2029. And thrift stores like Twice and Nice, which also sell household items, furniture, and other secondhand items, have seen a 40 percent surge in foot traffic since 2019.
Goodwill of Central & Coastal Virginia, which includes our Charlottesville stores, brought in $86 million in total revenue in 2024, and sales in North America reached a whopping $5.5 billion. Locally, the Salvation Army most recently reported $400,000 in thrift store revenue, and the Habitat Store reported over $300,000 in revenue. In its 2023 annual report, the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA reported that its thrift store generated nearly 10 percent of its income.
What’s more, local and regional for-profit resellers are proliferating, and online start-ups like Postmark, Vinted, and ThredUP have turned everyone’s closet into a thrift store.
Sarah Sweet, owner of The Scrappy Elephant at McIntire Plaza, which sells second-hand art and craft materials, opened her store in 2020 and hired her first employee in October 2022. Today, she has 10 employees and just opened a second location in Lynchburg.
“People are finally waking up to the gross reality of fast fashion and over consumption,” says Sweet when asked why thrifting has seen such growth. “I know so many teenagers now who think thrifting is cool and prefer shopping second hand.”
“Thrifting is cool compared to how it was thirty years ago,” adds Woolworth. “Buying resale can mean a greater bang for the buck, providing eclectic, unique, one of a kind items.”
Indeed, celebrities are now wearing secondhand clothes to the Oscars and the Met Gala, and Netflix documentaries like Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy have exposed the lengths to which major companies have gone to keep people constantly buying new things.
“People are also tired of spending a lot of money on cheap crap from China that breaks or falls apart after one or two uses,” says Sweet. “Buying second-hand not only saves money, but usually results in better-made and higher-quality items.”
Indeed, 2025 has been a terrible year for commercial retailers. Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Forever 21 announced they were closing multiple stores across the country. Same goes for Rite Aid and Joann Fabrics. Overall, more than 8,100 retail stores closed across the country in 2025, citing rising prices, tariff uncertainty, and competition from foreign retailers.
Both Sweet and Woolworth also emphasize the environmental impact of shopping local and buying second-hand, both to reduce waste and the carbon footprint of e-commerce.
“Buying second hand is an easy way to reduce what is sent to the landfill and not put money into the hands of billionaires,” says Sweet.
Here are some local secondhand shops where you can say no to billionaires:
Twice is Nice (clothes, home goods, furniture)
The Scrappy Elephant (art supplies and materials)
Low - Vintage clothing, vinyl, and antiques in Charlottesville (vintage clothing)
Arsenic & Old Lace (clothing, home goods, artisan-made gifts)
Salvation Army Thrift Store (clothes, home goods, furniture, appliances, toys)
Wilder (second-hand clothing for men and women)
The Habitat Store (furniture, appliances, tools, construction materials, light fixtures)
Eternal Attic (antiques, consignment)
Uptown Cheapskate Charlottesville (clothes, shoes)
Old Flame Secondhand & Vintage
Circa (antiques, vintage decor)
High Tor Gear Exchange (outdoor clothes/gear)
Heyday (antiques & vintage)
A&W Antique Mall (antiques, gifts, vintage clothing)
Crossroads Vintage & Antiques (antiques, vintage, furniture, MCM, artwork, jewelry, patio & garden, glassware)
SPCA rummage store (clothes, housewares, art, appliances, furniture, pet supplies, toys, sports gear)
The Green Olive Tree (clothing, home goods, toys)
Neon Soul (stylish upcycled clothing, jewelry, gifts)
Consignment House Gallery (art, sculpture, jewelry, furniture)
Kid to Kid Charlottesville (kids and baby clothing)
Agents In Style Luxury Boutique (luxury and designer brand clothing and accessories, new & consigned)
Plato’s Closet (clothing, accessories, shoes)
Darling (clothing, shoes, and accessories)
Natalie Dressed (women’s, men’s, and children’s contemporary clothing, shoes, and accessories)
Earlysville Exchange (thrift store and community center)