As a child, Tedi Gilmartin loved diving into the dress-up box nestled in the basement of her family’s Stonewall home.
Sifting through the pile of vintage dresses and retro blouses, Gilmartin felt like she was stepping back in time as she stepped into pairs of too-big heels from decades gone by.
“There were so many interesting, quirky things,” she said.
“I’ve always enjoyed dressing up. I’ve always liked wearing things that were a little bit different or older.”
Today, the 30-year-old has turned her passion for thrifting into a passion project. In 2023, she vowed to visit every single thrift store in Manitoba.
“I thought it was pretty, pretty lofty, but I’ve been able to do more than half so far.”
She shares her thrifting adventures on TikTok, hoping to inspire others to eschew the mall for secondhand shops instead.
Not stopping there – she also created the Manitoba Thrift Map, laying out the province’s bevy of secondhand shops.
While shopping for pre-loved goods seems to be having a bit of a moment amid inflation and an ongoing U.S. tariff war, Gilmartin thinks it’s a movement with staying power.
“There’s been a group of us who’ve always known what you can find thrifting, and I think maybe we’re just being a little louder on the internet about it, and people are going, ‘Hmm, now that you said that, I think I can join in.‘”
Thrifting offers deals, altruism: retail expert
Join in, they have.
The 2024 Thrift Industry Report, compiled by retail giant Value Village, found nearly half of Canadian respondents increased or expected to increase their thrift spending in the next three years.
This number increases 42 per cent among Gen Z consumers.
Of those respondents who upped their thrift store spending, 35 per cent said they reduced their spending at department stores, while 34 per cent decreased their spending at specialty retailers.
Another 29 per cent clamped down on their spending at fast fashion outlets.
The numbers take on new context amid a rapidly shifting Canadian retail landscape.
Iconic department store Hudson’s Bay filed for creditor protection earlier this month. An Ontario Superior Court ruling allowed the once-stalwart chain to liquidate most of its 80 stores across the country, with plans to keep the doors open at a mere six.
Amid an eroding middle class, retail analyst Bruce Winder believes the department store’s failure to adapt spelled trouble for its bottom line.
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“The department store model was a legacy model, and they were really the last true department store in Canada,” he said.
“The way Millennials and Gen Z and even Gen X shop is less about departments and more at specialty stores and more online.”
It tracks that the secondhand market holds ‘massive appeal’ for shoppers of all ages amid the creeping costs of living, he added.
However, Winder believes thrifting offers more than just the thrill of a buck saved.
“If you believe in helping the environment, then this is also a way to sort of jump into the circular economy, where you’re giving an item more than one life,” he said.
“Another thing it does - it’s a bit of a treasure hunt. You get some special finds and unique finds that aren’t found at traditional retail stores.”
Surveying Manitoba’s thrift store landscape
Given Manitobans’ famed love of bargain hunting and the time-honoured tradition of the garage sale, it’s no surprise our province is home to a sprawling array of secondhand and thrift shops.
On the corporate side – the largest for-profit thrift chain in the world, Savers, operates five Value Village stores in Winnipeg and one in Brandon.
There’s another thrifting giant afoot – the Salvation Army. The non-profit offers everything from housewares to clothing at eight secondhand shops across the province.
The stores are in the midst of a bit of a renaissance, with sales spiking dramatically across the country since the onset of the pandemic.
In Winnipeg, the chain has seen a 12 per cent increase - 28 per cent at its Charleswood shop, specifically.
The organization doesn’t see it slowing down amid inflation and Canada’s ongoing trade war with the U.S.
“People are finding ways to make their dollar go further,” said Ted Troughton, managing director of the organization’s Canadian thrift store’s recycling operations.
“Everything is getting more expensive, so you can go into a Salvation Army Thrift Store and find some great stuff for your home and not have to pay tax on it because we’re a charity.”
Beside the affordability piece, donations to the Salvation Army’s thrift stores have diverted over 83 million pounds from the landfill, while proceeds support the non-profit’s many programs and initiatives.
“It’s a win-win,” Troughton said.
Thrifty finds with a charitable offshoot
In fact, most Manitoba thrift stores sell their pre-loved chenille sweaters, chafing dishes, and tchotchkes with a side of altruism.
Nestled in the heart of Osborne Village, the Overflow aims to feel more like a women’s boutique than a thrift store. Its Michael Kors bags give little indication the shop is raising money for Setting the Captives Free - an organization supporting women who have been exploited or trafficked.
The woman ringing up your sweater set has likely accessed its services herself.
“Some of the women who have been exploited want to work because we can give them the customer service and retail experience here,” said Shona Stewart, the organization’s founder.
“They come in and share their skills and talents. Over time, you see a really big change in them with their confidence.”
‘They don’t make them like this anymore’
Nostalgia also seems to be at the heart of the thrifting upswing.
Amid the Jets 1.0 jerseys and snap-back hats, walking into the Clothing Bakery on Albert Street feels like you have time travelled to the ‘90s or early aughts.
Owner Carjelu Delera has fond memories of the era – a time when he scoured his neighbourhood flea market for hidden gems with his dad. Having just immigrated to Winnipeg from the Philippines, money was tight.
“Every weekend, we would go down there and check it out. It was cool to see different people bringing in different stuff. It was always something new.”
Delera developed an eye for quality thrifted pieces, carrying a prototypical Millennial and Gen Z sensibility. He began selling some of his finds on Instagram to support himself while studying medical radiologic technology.
After graduating to pop-up markets, he soon realized thrifting could be more than just a side hustle.
“I’m so passionate about it, and I just took the risk and opened the shop back in 2022 in the Exchange. Our first location was on King Street.”
He and his partner Juan Barachina since expanded to a larger space a few blocks away on Arthur Street.
His customers are mostly university students and young adults looking for that one-of-a-kind piece that’s built to last.
“They love the uniqueness of the item and then the quality. Compared to what they sell now, it’s just way better. It’s still cheaper and if you take care of it, it will outlast what’s being made today.”
The Old House Revival Company offers its shoppers a similar retro step back in time – way, way back.
Decades-old Pyrex mixing bowls and walnut bedroom sets lure shoppers through the multi-storey antique mall.
Need a crystal chandelier from the 1900s? Chances are, they have a few. In the market for an antique computing scale? You’ll find that there, too.
According to manager Wendy Ryder, longing for a simpler time doesn’t discriminate between the shopper who learned to type on the ‘50s typewriters they sell or an iPad.
“We fit so many different age groups. Whether you’re shopping in here and you say, ‘Oh, my grandma used to have that.’ That’s what keeps all this stuff interesting to many people, because it covers so many special memories and happy thoughts.”
For Gilmartin, that discovery is what keeps her driving beyond the Perimeter, to keep hunting for the kinds of lost treasures thrift stores seem to specialize in.
“When you go thrifting and you’re looking for a particular item, you never find it, but you always find these other things you never thought you wanted or needed,” she said.
“There’s an opportunity in thrift stores to find really interesting, special things, and that’s what it’s all about.”
