National Thrift Shop Day – August 17th

August 9, 2023 – Sarasota

A thrift store goes by a different name. It could be a resale shop, a boutique, a consignment shop and more. And, this Venice resale guide publisher prints 70,000 copies of The Happy Thrifter knows this first hand as they mentioned that on the annual cover of The Happy Thrifter. No matter what you call your favorite store, it is essentially a retail store that sells pre-loved items, as Patti Clark, Publisher of The Happy Thrifter would say.

If you consider yourself, like many of us, a bargain hunter, you are going to love to celebrate National Thrift Store Day, by picking up a copy of this resale guide with a 4 page pull out map, and start planning your resale adventure. This paper lists over 450 resale/thrift merchants from Ocala to Naples, FL.

And, to make thrift shopping easier, take one of their sponsored Mystery Resale Thrifting Shopping Bus Tours or how about shopping aboard a cruise line (Royal Caribbean) on one of their OH SHIP Florida Gals Thrifting Trip Events, where The Happy Thrifter has a thrift store aboard the ship during their events.

Lots of good things are associated with shopping in a thrift store. Of course, you are able to get more for your money and sure is something to celebrate! From clothes to home décor; you can find a whole host of treasures. Just think of the cool stuff that people have donated, so you could turn everyday into a thrift store day as you never know what you are going to come across!

Measurable Success for Local Tourism

Happy Thrifter events are in demand in Southwest Florida; the buses and cruises book quickly, and the

the resale guide has become an invaluable resource for thrifters. But thrifters aren’t the only ones that

benefit — merchants and the organizations they represent have found a steady source of revenue in

these events. In 2021, at the height of the Covid pandemic, the Happy Thrifter buses kept running

(applying the usual safety precautions). When Clark reviewed the tour results for the pandemic year, she

learned that the twenty-three tours still generated $218,000 in revenue for her Happy Thrifter

merchants.

Keeping the tours running smoothly is no small task; there are a lot of details to attend to. Clark’s degree

in marketing and her years of experience as an event planner enable her to keep her team of twenty-

three on track. Her team includes office and editorial staff, tour sales & support, tour guides, marketing,

and distribution.

Tourism is booming, as is the secondhand market. Worldwide, revenue from used merchandise is

expected to reach $77 billion by 2025, up from $36 billion in 2021. Shopping — thrift or retail — is

integral to travel and vacations. Tourism boards nationwide should “hitch their wagons” to this surging

trend.

For more information, contact Patti Clark. TEL: 816-352-0975.

EMAIL: thehappythriftershopper@gmail.com, or thehappythriftershopper.com.

To celebrate The Happy Thrifter company entering 7 years, they have put together a video for your viewing. Enjoy and go Hug a THRIFT TREE.

Two Photos- Patti Clark Publisher

Hug a Thrift Tree

Video