A customer at the Lincoln Family Thrift Center surveys the store’s shoe collection. The store carries many types of brand name shoes with a lower price tag.
Photo: Christina DeVries, NewsNetNebraska
Lesa and Brittany Fahrnbruch were out for a mother and daughter shopping spree on Monday afternoon, but instead of heading to the malls, they went to the Family Thrift Center, where they say they get better deals.
In a troubled economy, more people like the budget-conscious Farnbruchs are turning to thrift stores for their shopping needs. Nationally and locally, thrift stores are seeing a big jump in profits, but donations are down.
One of the largest thrift businesses, Goodwill Industries, reported that its February revenue was up 7.2 percent over last year, according to USA Today. The Salvation Army, which doesn't keep national statistics, reported that donations were down for the first eight weeks of 2009 nearly 13 percent from last year in its western district, which includes California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
In Lincoln, the Family Thrift Center, 1745 O St., has experienced the same trend.
"Across the board, donations are the biggest thing we've seen decrease," said Katy Drake, Family Thrift Center manager.
The Family Thrift Center has had an increase in profits recently, Drake said, but the trend isn't dramatic and has been several years in the making.
"Our increase has happened over the last seven years," she said. "We haven't seen a massive increase, but a steady increase."
Loyal shoppers are a big part of their business profits, she said, but she also has noticed a return of shoppers the store hasn't seen in years. She said she thinks the economy may be prompting the return of former customers.
"People understand the value of a dollar," she said. "They're learning they can get more for their money when they shop secondhand."
The Fahrnbruchs agree.
"You can get name brands, too; people don't realize that," Lesa Fahrnbruch said as she and her daughter looked through the good finds that were piling up in their shopping cart.
"You find better deals here," Brittany Fahrnbruch said. "People just don't know it because they think its low class."
While the recession has affected thrift stores, one local pawn shop employee says she's surprised that the store hasn't felt the effects of the nation's slump.
"We were ready for most anything -- either to have our shelves overflowing because nobody picks up [their property] or to have it empty," said Cynthia Hickman, a worker at BB&R Pawn Shop who has been in the pawn business for 32 years. "But it just stayed the same."
Shane Troutman brought a handful of CDs at BB&R Pawn. For the past four year he said he's frequented pawn shops for CDs and DVDs because they're cheaper than other stores. Photo: Christina DeVries, NewsNetNebraska
While the shelves are lined with wares at the Lincoln Family Thrift Center, the donations have decreased since last year. Nationally, donations have decreased as well.
Photo: Christina DeVries, NewsNetNebraska
Hickman said she thinks the shop managed to avoid the effects of the recession because Nebraska has been slow to be hit economically.
"Nebraska normally does not get hit as hard financially as the East and West Coast," she said. "We don't vary as much I've noticed in the past. I have talked to pawnbrokers in other states who got hit hard; we didn't here."
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