Second hand sales on the rise

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Though teen spending has hit a 40 year low since the pandemic’s start, second hand clothing sales are up.

And Miranda Mann, a Clothes Mentor manager, says there are several reasons for that trend:

“So its not like going to the mall and having to go to five of six different stores. You come here, and you can shop all of those brands here at a fraction of the cost that you would pay at those high end retail stores.”

On top of that, studies show buying second hand clothing is more environmentally friendly than buying new.

“Think of all the clothes that we bring to Good Will, or that we throw in the trash dumps,” says Mann. “This prevents all of those clothes from making it to the actual landfills.”

And there’s an added benefit during a slow economy. Customers can earn money by bringing in their gently used clothing for on-the-spot cash.

“So it helps the economy, it helps the environment, and it also give people great clothes to wear.”

Here in Wilmington, Mann says Clothes Mentor offers free personal shopping and online sales, and keeps up a stringent cleaning protocol within the store.

“We clean our store everyday, every hour of the day. Our dressing rooms are open. So what we do after every single person comes in and tries on clothes, we clean those dressing rooms and have them available.”

It’s fashion as function, and it’s paying off for shoppers of all ages.