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Post-Holiday Shopping: Thrift Stores Boom, Returns Drop
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Post-Christmas Shopping: A Shift Towards Thrift Stores and Disciplined Spending
The holiday shopping season may be over, but Americans are still out in full force, seeking post-Christmas deals and returns. Despite overall spending surpassing last years numbers, economic concerns and tariff-induced price hikes are influencing shopping habits.
Thrift stores are experiencing a surge in popularity, with traffic increasing nearly eleven percent in the week before Christmas. Meanwhile, department stores are seeing a thirteen point two percent decline. Off-price chains have also seen an eighty-five percent seasonal increase.
This trend is particularly challenging for traditional retailers, especially those selling clothing and electronics affected by imports and tariffs. Thrift stores are now attracting higher-income shoppers, with average household earnings around seventy-five thousand dollars. Economic uncertainty and environmental concerns are broadening their appeal.
Return rates are down by two point five percent from November first to December twelfth, indicating more disciplined shopping amidst tight budgets. Online sales have also increased by six percent to one hundred eighty-seven point three billion dollars.
As return rates are expected to spike by twenty-five to thirty-five percent this week through December thirty-first, its clear that savvy spending is here to stay, balancing caution with the pursuit of value.
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