Shoppers hunting for bargains are turning Goodwill into an unexpected economic barometer. Goodwill Industries, the country's biggest thrift chain, says revenue from its 3,400 stores hit a record $7 billion in 2025, about 7% higher than the year before. The nonprofit's CEO, Steven Preston, says store traffic tends to hold steady in all kinds of economies, but rises "when things are tight" and people are more focused on price, per the New York Times. With inflation, cooling job growth, and stubborn costs for rent and groceries, many households are shifting more of their spending to secondhand racks. The draw is equal parts necessity and "treasure hunt" with young shoppers flaunting their finds on TikTok and YouTube.
The boom extends well beyond Goodwill. Savers Value Village reported nearly 16% net sales growth in its latest quarter, and online consignment site ThredUp said revenue jumped 34%. Axios recently looked specifically at Arizona's secondhand retail industry, noting it's grown about 7% per year since 2020. Economists say secondhand retailers are benefiting from a broader shift toward "value-conscious" spending as shoppers look for ways to cut costs. Thrift stores also sidestep tariff-driven price increases because they don't rely on newly manufactured imports.
Changing tastes are helping, too. Goodwill's annual sales are up nearly 50% since 2019, fueled in part by Gen Z and millennial customers who see used clothing as cheaper, better made, and more sustainable than fast-fashion items. At Goodwill, items that don't sell in regular stores are routed to outlet locations and sold in bulk by the pound, or passed to partner resellers, overseas markets, or recyclers, part of an effort to keep roughly 6 billion pounds of donated goods in circulation each year. With Goodwill planning to open 50 to 100 more stores across North America this year, chief operating officer David Eagles says 2026 could be the organization's "biggest year yet."
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