Thrifty Revolutionizing the Resale Industry
Ready to join the eco-friendly revolution? Get ahead of the trend and discover the creative world of upcycling and thrifting.
Upcycling is the art of taking something old and transforming it into something new and exciting. Shopping for gently used clothes and home goods at local thrift stores is the best way to find those high quality, cheap something-olds. Whether it’s an old T-shirt or a dingy night stand, upcycling is a great way to reduce waste, save money and get creative.
With thrifting and upcycling, reducing waste is a trend worth keeping.
As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Rebecca Smith’s new app, Thrifty is revolutionizing how people can make extra cash by selling their secondhand goods. Thrifty helps people sell the things they no longer use by matching them with a Thrifty Manager in their area who will plan pick-ups, sell the items or donate them.
“In 2016, I started dabbling with pop-up consignment sales, finding the concept exciting and a lean business model. I’m frugal by nature, and I thought, why can’t I do this at a micro level? I also wanted it to be community-based, allowing people to make a second income selling other people’s stuff locally,” said Smith.
Thrifty App creates micro-economies using existing resources like personal items as their inventory and homes as their sales space.
Smith created Thrifty to provide an easy and convenient way for people to make extra money and to find unique items they would not find anywhere else. She wanted to make it easier for people to sell their items without having to go through the hassle of setting up their own yard or garage sales. Smith has been successful in her mission.
“We are in our beta testing, and we are getting a positive response so far. We are hoping, with more seed funding we can expand to neighboring regions,” Smith said.
What sets Thrifty apart from other secondhand selling apps is that instead of owners selling it themselves, someone does it for them. Thrifty allows Managers to use whatever marketplace or channel they can to increase the odds of the item selling. It also puts a strong salesperson in charge, especially if items are sentimental and hard to let go of.
“Research shows that over 80% of people don’t try to sell their items and just “get rid” of them. This is because it takes time, will and skill to sell secondhand items. However, there are people that are really good at selling used items,” said Smith. “We understand it’s hard to give away precious mementos or ask for a fair price. Our Thrifty Managers understand the art of bargaining for both the seller and buyer.”
Sustainability in Repurposing
Another of Thrifty’s missions is to promote sustainability. Every year, over 36 billion articles of clothing and household items end up in landfills. Thrifty makes it easy for people to reduce, reuse and recycle by promoting the sale and the use of secondhand goods and extending the life cycle of those goods by recirculating them back into the economy.
Or, if items are not sold, local charities get the benefit. Smith implemented a donation system that allows users to donate their items
“The Thrifty managers donate unsold items to the charities, helping those in need and helping Mother Earth with recycling once-loved items,” said Smith. It also helps the clients feel their unsold items are going to a good cause.
The Scalability of Thrifty App
The Santa Fe Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CEID) is the incubator that helps support small businesses like Smith’s in Alachua.
“Thrifty is a highly scalable business model,” said Smith. “We are hyperlocal in terms of our community component since Thrifty managers need to be close to the owners of the items. So, our approach is to grow by geo markets. However, we are a lean business model and could scale quickly if we were adequately funded.”
The App works like this:
- Users create an account and find a manager in their area using the app.
- The Thrifty manager coordinates a drop-off of the items.
- Over a period of 30 days, the Thrifty manager lists the items for sale and sells the items.
- Users then get paid through their selected method
- Unsold items can be returned to the user or sent to local charities.
By Deborah Holmén M.Ed. NBCT.