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As fears of an oncoming recession overwhelm world markets, thrift stores — unlike other businesses — might not be bracing for hard times. 

Cheryl Classen is the manager of Flying Pig Thrift, a shop located in a former bookstore near Hamline University on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. The shop carries carefully organized clothes, jewelry and knickknacks.

Classen opposes President Donald Trump’s new tariffs but thinks they could have a positive impact on Flying Pig Thrift.

“As prices go up, people who are already closely watching their budgets will think about thrifting instead of biting the bullet and buying something new,” she said.

Classen said more business at Flying Pig would be a “very small positive” in the face of what she said she expects will be times of significant economic hardship. 

Last week, Trump unveiled sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” on goods from across the globe. 

, the White House said the tariffs will counter imbalance in the country’s trade partnerships. But experts have warned this could lead to higher costs for American businesses and consumers. 

If demand for used goods goes up, Classen said she doesn’t think Flying Pig would raise its prices. Over the past several years, business has already increased significantly.

She attributes this to rising prices and customers becoming more environmentally conscious.

“They don’t want to just go to Target and plop down $50 for a new pan,” Classen said.

Long-time thrifter Leo Woodyard was shopping for books at a St. Paul Goodwill on Friday. He said there are some things he will only buy new, like kitchenware, but he likes to buy used books.

“If you’re going and shopping at new bookstores they’ll be like 18 dollars for one book,” Woodyard said. “You can get paperbacks for like a dollar ninety-nine here and hardbacks for two ninety-nine, so it’s fantastic. It’s great for my budget.”

Woodyard said he thinks the economy will worsen and more people will start thrifting. Malorie Rehbein agrees with him. She was at Goodwill looking for affordable Easter decorations. 

Rehbein said she regularly thrifts for items like collectible plushies, dishes and scrubs.

“I work in the hospital. If you go online and get a set they can be up to a hundred dollars,” she said. “I don’t want to fork up like a chunk of my paycheck just to get work clothes.”

Since the presidential election, Rehbein said she’s found herself thrifting more often because of the “questionable” economy.

“I used to go here and there, maybe like once or twice a month,” Rehbein said. “Now, I’d say I probably go at least once a week.”

Rehbein said she “dreads” going to Walmart because of the high price of groceries, and she expects costs to keep going up.

Julene Maruska is the assistant to the executive director at St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. She’s worked at the West Seventh Street location since 1987. Over the years, she said she’s watched thrifting trends shift.

She said she sees more young people shopping than ever before. Despite the rise of e-books, print books are still one of their most popular items. She said no one wants to buy fine china anymore.

Maruska said she thinks it’s too early to predict how business will change, but she’s expecting the economy to get worse. Either way, she said she doesn’t foresee the store raising its prices unless there’s a severe crisis. 

“I do think there’s a recession in the future, I just don’t know how bad it’s going to get,” Maruska said. “We hope it doesn’t hit us too hard. We hope it doesn’t hit the people that come to us to shop either.”

Alex Haddon

Author

President Trump has said tariffs will counter imbalance in the country’s trade partnerships, but experts have warned this could lead to higher costs for American businesses and consumers — which could mean more people shop secondhand.  

As cost of new products rises, many thrifty shoppers look to secondhand

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