More and more millennials are becoming frugal and bargain-hungry, and Goodwill is aiming to capitalize on it. Just last month, the retail thrift store opened up “Curated by Goodwill NYNJ,” a boutique on the Upper West Side of Manhattan designed to appeal to a younger crowd with a curated assortment of clothing, accessories, and home-ware.
“We designed Curated as a distinct shopping experience to introduce shoppers concerned with the waste and pollution that fast fashion causes, to a stylish, affordable alternative,” Katy Gaul-Stigge, the CEO of Goodwill NYNJ, said in a statement to the press this month.
Because of the boutique’s elevated positioning, Curated by Goodwill’s prices are slightly higher than the average Goodwill item. The move comes amid the rocky state of retail — consumers are investing more of their dollars in digital-first resale sites like Poshmark and Depop. But millennials are also leading to a boom in donations.
“We are definitely getting overrun with furniture and about 20 percent more donations of everything than in previous years,” Michael Frohm, the chief operating officer of a Goodwill thrift store in Greater Washington, told The New York Times in August 2017.
Fashion comes and goes, making clothes more disposable. More than just a desire to stand out from the crowd, millennials are becoming more environmentally conscious about the impact of shopping at fast-fashion stores. As a result, the younger crowd is turning to shopping in and donating to thrift stores.
By: Maytinee Kramer
