Why 'Thriftmas' is trending this holiday season, plus tips to save
With the holiday season in full swing, so is "thriftmas," a growing trend that has more people thrifting presents for family members and friends this Christmas.
On TikTok, the term #thriftmas has over 16,000 posts, while on Instagram, there are now more than 20,000 reels containing the keyword.
Business owner Vanessa Roberts, 36, and content creator Jenli Kaylor, 39, are both longtime thrift store shoppers who are sharing their "thriftmas" ideas and finds online.
"I think ['thriftmas' has] definitely grown in popularity in the last couple years," Roberts told ABC News. "I feel like this year too, it has gotten more popular, and ... I think it's inspiring and motivating more people [to thrift shop]."
Roberts, who lives in Los Angeles, said she loves to find unique, vintage and handmade items or items from defunct brands.
"I feel like I can find super unique pieces at the thrift store that you don't really get with new fashion these days," Roberts told ABC News.
For Kaylor, a mom of four in Texas, thrifting has also been one way she's stayed on top of her family's budget.
"Thrifting was how we were able to continue to have nice things, but we didn't have to spend as much money," Kaylor explained. "I started loving finding treasures, especially here in the Dallas area."
Thrift stores across the country are seeing more customers walk into their shops this year for several reasons, and many say the trend reflects how shoppers are feeling about the economy in 2025.
At the Salvation Army, which operates 900 thrift stores around the U.S. and territories including Puerto Rico, national community relations and development director Dale Bannon said more shoppers are trying to stretch their dollars further.
"Two-thirds of Americans worry about affording holiday gifts while managing bills. So the [Salvation Army] thrift stores … have seen an uptick, certainly here around the holiday season, in sales," Bannon told ABC News.
Bannon said the Salvation Army has seen a 50% increase in year-over-year sales in some Northeast locations, with 1.5 million transactions in the last two months.
A new, younger generation of shoppers is also seeking out thrift stores, according to Cheryl Grimm, vice president of retail and marketing at Housing Works, which operates nine thrift stores in New York City.
"I think that the second part of the equation is sustainability," Grimm told ABC News. "When you look at younger generations, like Generation Z ... they have a very strong commitment to the environment and to a circular economy, and so, to thrift your gifts has become kind of like a cool factor."
For some shoppers, the possibility of going on a "treasure hunt" might also draw them into the thrift store, according to Onney Crawley, chief marketing officer for Goodwill Industries, which operates more than 3,400 stores across the U.S. and Canada.
"It's a fun and novel way to really shop for the holidays," Crawley told AC News. "You can get different things, more unique gifts."
Tips for successful thrifting
For shoppers looking to embrace "thriftmas," Roberts and Kaylor shared their top tips for a successful shopping trip.
"No. 1 tip is to be creative," Roberts recommended. "Think outside the box. Let the thrift store inspire you, and one item can help you build from there."
"Maybe there's a bunch of teacup sets at the thrift store. ... I thrifted one of those for, I think, $1, $2 and upcycled it into a bird feeder and then curated a whole basket of bird food for a friend who had a backyard," Roberts added as an example.
Kaylor recommends looking for quality items and thinking about the people you are shopping for.
"Check the tags on everything," said Kaylor. "Look for quality but also look for the things that remind you of that person that you're thrifting for."
Because thrift stores have a wide range of items from clothing and housewares to toys and more, the selections can vary, and Kaylor suggested visiting thrift stores more than once.
"Don't be discouraged if you go and try and fail," Kaylor said. "Some of my favorite thrift stores, I walk in, there's nothing to be found that day. And I just turn around to walk out, because every day, the inventory is changing."
