Shopping for secondhand products is fast becoming trendy in the modern world, especially among teens and young people. The rising popularity for these “lightly used” items can be attributed to the low cost of the items, as well as their great quality and unique, personal style.
Besides, buying secondhand products, such as clothes, is good for the planet, since re-using them minimizes the amount of textiles in landfills.
When it comes to buying secondhand items, there is no better place to find these than in thrift stores. In this article, we discuss the 10 Best Thrift Stores in Kitchener and practical tips that can help you find the best thrift stores in the region.
Top 10 Best Thrift Stores in Kitchener
Here are the top 10 thrift stores in Kitchener; the kind guaranteed to give you real value for your money.
1. The Perfect Find Thrift Store
Products: Secondhand products
Website: theperfectfind.ca
Address: 700 Strasburg Rd, Kitchener, ON N2E 2M2, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-208-8488
Operating Hours: 10 am – 5 pm
If you are looking for great deals on secondhand items, the Perfect Find Thrift Store is just the place to go. The store is well-organized and easy to shop in. It also has over 100 volunteers ready to help and assist in anything.
Customer Reviews
“This is by far the friendliest and most amazing place to find things at great prices! The staff is always friendly and it is always clean here!”
Yaramarie
“The store is a hidden gem. The store is wide open and nicely laid out. Very clean. Has a good selection of everything from furniture to household to clothes.”
Jennifer
2. MCC Thrift on Kent
Products: Used furniture, books and clothes
Website: mccthriftontario.com
Address: 50 Kent Ave, Kitchener, ON N2G 3R1, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-886-6226
Operating Hours: 10 am – 8 pm
If you are looking for some unique home decor furniture, apparels, books and other used items, Thrift on Kent is just the place to go to. This store offers a wide variety of items at a reasonable price. Besides, the non-profit store donates its revenues to the Mennonite Central Committee, a relief service based in Akron, Pennsylvania.
Customer Reviews
“One of the nicest and cleanest thrift stores I have been to. Ample parking and the display of everything is not overcrowded but pleasingly attractive. Prices are attractive too.”
YYZ Reviewer
“It’s not the biggest selection, but it changes often that you will find something new every week. Great stop for 2nd hand furniture that also changes frequently.”
Gina
3. YW Thrift Boutique
Products: Secondhand clothing, jewelry, footwear and linen
Website: inhershoesyw.com
Address: 102 King St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 1A6, Canada
Contact Number: +1 226-751-6898
Operating Hours: 11 am – 5 pm
The YW Thrift Boutique store is under a training program run to help women develop entrepreneurial skills, eventually solving the barrier to employment. They have both an online store and a physical store at Kitchener.
Customer Reviews
“Picked up a super cute Coach bag and some funky jewelry and had a wonderful shopping experience at in Her Shoes! Great location to walk to from any office downtown Kitchener on your lunch break.”
Steph
“Such an amazing charitable endeavor – fantastic concept for job training and Thrift shopping. Great selection of products with awesome prices.”
Patricia
4. Luster & Oak
Products: Vintage clothes
Website: lusterandoak.ca
Address: 2 King St S, Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-886-4527
Operating Hours: 11 am – 8 pm
If you are looking for a convenient place to shop in the Uptown District, this would be the ideal store to go to. Luster & Oak offer a wide variety of vintage clothes, providing more options to customers than other nearby thrift stores.
Customer Reviews
“It is a nice store with a well-curated collection. The prices are reasonable (not super cheap, but that is to be expected for a nicer thrift store like this) and there are some more expensive items from name brands.”
Katherine
“Nice little shop in uptown Waterloo. Worth the stop if you’re in the area. Staff is very kind, and selection is great.”
Jessica
5. May Court Shop
Products: Secondhand clothing
Website: maycourtclubofkw.org
Address: 714 Belmont Ave W, Kitchener, ON N2M 1P2, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-745-4412
Operating Hours: 10 am – 4 pm
This best thrift shop is run and operated by the May Court Women’s Club; a club dedicated to donating all their profits back in order to support women and children in the region. The store offers unique secondhand clothes of all sizes and styles, as well as other designed accessories, such as jewelry.
Customer Reviews
“The volunteers were exceptionally friendly and really went above and beyond to help me find what I was looking for! Good selection of items for a small store.”
Emma
“My daughter and I have found a great selection of outfits at the May Court Shop at very reasonable prices. Their accessories are stylish and make wonderful gifts for special occasions. Love the ‘no tax’ feature.”
Margaret
6. Habitat for Humanity Restore
Products: Secondhand bathroom items, kitchen items, furniture, decor and building appliances.
Website: habitatwr.ca
Address: 120 Northfield Dr E, Waterloo, ON N2J 4G8, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-747-0664
Operating Hours: 9 am – 6 pm
This thrift store mainly deals with home and building supplies. Almost everything that is sold here is new or gently used; a practice that makes Habitat for Humanity Restore an environmentally-conscious store. It has two stores based in the Waterloo region, Ontario.
Customer Reviews
“Found what we were after and the administration people were very helpful.”
Dennis
“I just love this store! They have about everything you need for projects around your house. Building materials, light fixtures, doors, windows, bathroom fixtures, plumping supplies, flooring and lots of misc. hardware. Appliances, furniture, picture and more. Used and new. Great prices!”
Angie
7. Talize
Products: Used clothes, books, linens, shoes, toys and houseware
Website: talize.com
Address: 1144 Courtland Avenue East, Unit #10, Ontario N2C 2H5, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-744-4300
Operating Hours: 9 am – 9 pm
Talize is a for-profit thrift retailer that focuses on promoting sustainable fashion. It provides unique, personalized items from all popular brands names, including toys, footwear, designer clothes and other accessories. What’s even better, seniors and students who shop at the store receive a 10% discount for the regularly-priced items that they purchase.
Customer Reviews
“I live in the area of Talize and it is by far one of my favorite thrift stores in all of Vancouver. I’m a big T-shirt fan and unlike most places, everything is in order of colour, so if you are looking for a black T-shirt, it’s in one area.” – Ka’nika
“Always a good bargain, and way better prices vs Value Village. Organized by size and colour who could ask for more!” – Laura
8. Value Village
Products: Secondhand clothing, household items, footwear, books and furniture
Website: stores.savers.com
Address: 120 Ottawa St N, Kitchener, ON N2H3K5, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-576-4403
Operating Hours: 10 am – 9 pm
Value Village for-profit thrift store deals with a wide range of used items, from clothing to household items and designer accessories. The retailer’s end goal is to recycle and prevent the accumulation of waste in landfills every year.
Customer Reviews
“Huge, tidy store. Prices were very fair. Didn’t care for self-checkout style but store staff was very attentive and helpful.”
Kim
“This place is pretty well stocked. It’s massive and one of 2 Value Villages in the Kitchener area. As such, it gets a steady inflow of donated stuff.”
Rixon
9. Mission Thrift Store
Products: Used items
Website: missionthriftstorekitchener.com
Address: 385 Frederick St Unit 39, Kitchener, ON N2H 2P2, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-579-4116
Operating Hours: 10 am – 5 pm
The Mission Thrift Store deals with a wide range of used products, such as clothes, shoes, Christmas trees, books, and other vintage items. The store also offers delivery services to customers and has an easy donation process for those looking to donate some of their things.
Customer Reviews
“Nice big shop, very clean, lots of clothing but not much electronic, price is really good in here and my family members found some good stuff there.”
Stephen
“I surely do love this store. I am especially interested in books and find a large selection. I am one happy customer. The staff is always helpful and friendly. Blessings on all you do for us.”
Nancy
10. The Salvation Army Thrift Store
Products: Household items, pet supplies and other used vintage items.
Website: thriftstore.ca
Address: 563 Highland Rd W, Kitchener, ON N2M 5K2, Canada
Contact Number: +1 519-584-0818
Operating Hours: 10 am – 8 pm
The Salvation Army Thrift Store is a non-profit organization that offers different varieties of old, antique items. It has several branches in Canada, with a branch near the University of Waterloo and another in Highland Rd, Kitchener.
Customer Reviews
“Always have a great time here and staff is usually very friendly and the place is kept very clean.”
Yaramarie
“Since new in Kitchener, this is my first visit in this store. It’s neat, clean and well-organized.” –
Amy
How to Choose the Best Thrift Stores in Kitchener
While there are hundreds of thrift stores in Kitchener, not all of them can guarantee to offer you quality items and products. To help you choose the best thrift store, do your research first about the respective stores you intend to visit. Make sure to check the reviews left by customers and choose stores that have the most positive reviews.
Another thing to consider when choosing a thrift store is its location. Choose thrift stores that are easily accessible, such as those near main roads and bus/train stations. Furthermore, you would do well to visit stores that have a reputation for selling clean, high-quality items. After all, just because something is thrifted does not mean that you compromise on the quality. And finally, go for stores that offer affordable prices that are within your budget, so that you get to save and buy even more items!
FAQs
Yes! Shopping at thrift stores is totally worth it! First, you get to save a lot of cash since secondhand items are much cheaper than new ones. Also, buying used or recycled items is a major step towards sustainability since it ensures the conservation of the environment.
Clothes from thrift stores are not necessarily dirty, since most donations are usually washed before they are donated. However, if you buy any thrift items, especially clothing, it is always a good idea to give these a thorough cleaning once you get home.
Conclusion
Are you looking for the best thrift stores to shop in Kitchener? The above-suggested 10 thrift stores are guaranteed to give you quality products for your money. So if you wish to save some cash, and still build a reputation of having a unique, personalized style, it is high time you visited one or more of these best thrift stores.