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The Republic
Chandler and six other Arizona cities were named among the 100 best for thrift shopping in the U.S., according to a new study.
The study, conducted by CouponFollow, aimed to point out which U.S. cities offer the best thrift shopping experience, evaluating factors like thrift store variety, affordability and quality.
Even though seven Arizona cities made it to the list, only Chandler reached the top. Here’s how Arizona cities ranked, as well as a roundup of the top cities for thrift shopping in the U.S. and a list of metro Phoenix thrift stores to make the best out of your shopping experience.
Why is thrift shopping a trend now?
The perks of thrift shopping make it a no-brainer option for many. The trend has grown in recent years as the perception of thrifting has changed, said Marc Mezzacca, founder and thrifting expert at CouponFollow.
“Social media and increased eco-consciousness have been huge linchpins in the growing popularity of thrifting,” Mezzacca told USA TODAY.
Beyond saving money, Mezzacca said younger generations have pushed thrifting for sustainability and as a means of expression.
“Thrifting is now touted as a means of sustainable fashion and offering exclusive, one-of-a-kind finds that cannot be achieved with fast fashion,” Mezzacca said. “It has also raised the cultural bar to make thrifting a default not only for budgeting but also for being a vehicle for personal expression and ethical consumerism.”
CouponFollow has noticed some differences in the last two years since it last surveyed thrift shoppers. In 2022, 85% of thrifters said they did so to save money, 42% said to save the environment and 40% said to find discounted high-end brands.
This year, 88% of thrifters still said they were motivated by savings, but the second highest reason people thrifted was to find unique clothing (41%) and the third was finding “treasure” for 35%, who liked finding things they liked, despite them being discarded by others.
The average annual savings reported by 1,000 thrifters who were surveyed, was $2,071 in 2024 compared to $1,760 in 2022.
Top U.S. cities for thrifting
These are the 15 best cities in the U.S. for thrift shoppers, according to CouponFollow:
- New York
- Newark, New Jersey
- Los Angeles
- Long Beach, California
- Oakland, California
- Arlington, Texas
- Irvine, California
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Chicago
- San Bernardino, California
- Philadelphia
- Garland, Texas
- Chandler
- Anaheim, California
- Boston
Are Arizona cities good for thrifting?
Chandler was named the best city in Arizona and No. 13 in the nation for thrift shopping, according to CouponFollow.
The East Valley city overperformed in most study categories, but especially in the number of thrift stores available, where it obtained second place nationwide with nearly 140 thrift stores across the city. Chandler was only second to New York in this category, which used Yelp data to help determine the concentration of thrift stores available in every city.
Chandler also performed high in thrift store affordability and popularity categories, but it landed in the second half of the ranking for the number of flea markets available.
Far below Chandler in the full list, Phoenix ranked as the second-best Arizona city for thrift shoppers. Phoenix barely made it to the top half at No. 48 and was closely followed by Glendale at No. 50.
Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert and Scottsdale all landed in the bottom half of the ranking.
Here’s a list of how all Arizona cities performed in the ranking, as well as their rank for the study category where they performed best.
- Chandler: No. 13 overall, No. 2 for the number of thrift stores available.
- Phoenix: No. 48 overall, No. 15 for thrift store affordability.
- Glendale: No. 50 overall, No. 22 for the number of thrift stores available.
- Tucson: No. 56 overall, No. 25 for the number of thrift stores available.
- Mesa: No. 57 overall, No. 27 for the number of thrift stores available.
- Gilbert: No. 70 overall, No. 38 for thrift store affordability.
- Scottsdale: No. 98 overall, No. 50 for thrift store ratings.
10 top secondhand stores in metro Phoenix
Here are 10 locally owned secondhand clothing stores throughout metro Phoenix that have a diverse inventory, are relatively affordable and sell quality merchandise.
- Antique Sugar, Phoenix
- The Bee’s Knees, Phoenix
- Rocket A Go~Go, Tempe
- Wang’s Closet, Tempe
- Poor Little Rich Girl, Phoenix
- WHEAT’s Clothes Silo, Phoenix
- Time Bomb Vintage Clothing, Phoenix
- Â Luxie Vintage, Tempe
- Sammie & Dannie, Phoenix
USA TODAY Reporter Amaris Encinas contributed to this article.