Thrift store wars heat up with new players in St. Louis market
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A battle for donations and shoppers has taken hold in this fairly well-to-do part of the region as a crop of new players has entered the area thrift store scene, putting their stores in areas where they get the best donations.
Savers, a for-profit chain based outside of Seattle that is expanding aggressively nationwide, opened its first area store last fall in Ellisville. It’s about double the size of an average Goodwill store. And Savers is following that one with a store slated to open next month in the former Barnes & Noble space in Crestwood.
Another chain making inroads in St. Louis is Red Racks, run by the Kansas City chapter of Disabled American Veterans. It recently opened a in Ballwin after making its debut in the Affton area. A third store is coming to Creve Coeur this spring.
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Resale shops are one of the fastest-growing segments of retail, according to the Association of Resale Professionals. The industry has expanded its number of locations by 7 percent a year in the last two years.
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