Looking for a great place to shop for clothing, furniture, vintage items, or electronics? Charlotte, North Carolina, is a great place for thrift shopping. Whether you are a fashion lover, a budget-conscious shopper, or someone who likes to support charitable causes, the Queen City offers a fantastic range of thrift stores to explore. Whether you are a local or visiting this beautiful southern city, you will find plenty of exceptional deals in our top twelve thrift store picks.
Assistance League of Charlotte
5426 Old Pineville Rd, 28217
The Assistance League of Charlotte is a fantastic place to explore and search for hidden treasures. You can find a wide variety of gently used items such as clothing, books, toys, jewelry, and household goods here. The store is run by Assistance League members who carefully sort through donations to ensure that only the best merchandise is sold. Moreover, the thrift store is very well-maintained and organized, making it a pleasant shopping experience for everyone. Additionally, the Assistance League of Charlotte was recognized as the 2020 Outstanding Philanthropic Organization by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. This means you can trust that your money is being used for a good cause.
Carolina Value Thrift
2917 Freedom Dr., 28208
Carolina Value Thrift has been operating in the Carolina region since 1990 and has eight locations, with three of them situated in Charlotte. The small chain deals in both used and unused items, including clothing, shoes, furniture, jewelry, books, electronics, toys, and other household goods.
The merchandise comes from buyouts, liquidations, and leftovers from merchandisers. Moreover, they offer weekly discount tags of fifty to seventy-five percent off on select merchandise. Furthermore, they also have an impressive recycling program that reuses thousands of bags of old materials and clothing.
Bargain Hunters Thrift Store
7020 Albemarle Rd, 28227
Bargain Hunters Thrift Store offers great deals that are worth exploring. Although the store is plainer in appearance than some of the others on our list, staff keep the store well organized and its displays neat. Additionally, the store frequently has sales, making their low prices even more affordable. The store also has a boutique section dedicated to name-brand items, which you should definitely check out.
Clothes Mentor
8120 Providence Rd, 28277
Savvy Charlotte shoppers know that Clothes Mentor sells gently used name-brand and designer clothing, shoes, and accessories for up to seventy percent off of the original retail prices. At Clothes Mentor, you will find popular brands such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Gap, Kate Spade, and Lululemon. Clothes Mentor only buys items that are in great shape, on-trend, or classic and timeless. Additionally, you can sell your gently used clothing to them and make some money.
Community Thrift Store
3016 Freedom Drive Charlotte, 28208
This thrift store is located in West Charlotte and is known to be one of the most popular thrift stores in that area. They offer a great selection of second-hand clothes, books, jewelry, and electronics. When it comes to clothes shopping, the store is well-organized with the clothes separated into men's, women's, and children's sections. The store is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM. Weekends tend to be the busiest shopping times.
GW: A Goodwill Boutique
3609 South Blvd, 28209
In addition to the nineteen Goodwill stores located in Charlotte, there is the GW: Goodwill Boutique, a small shop that offers a curated selection of affordable designer and name-brand clothes. You are sure to find a great deal since the prices at GW range from $3.99 to $24.99 on average.
The GW Boutique is located in the trendy and historic neighborhood of South End in Charlotte, right across from the Scaleybark light rail station. The only issue with the store is that the clothes are arranged by color, which looks nice but can make it difficult to find specific sizes.
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The GRID by Goodwill
5301 Wilkinson Blvd, 28208
The GRID is the second Goodwill specialty store on our list. This store offers great deals on electronic products. They sell new, refurbished, and donated items like computers, games, gaming consoles, printers, televisions, audio equipment, and phone accessories. Moreover, you can compare products by features like operating system, hard drive size, and memory. They also have a vast collection of retro games, computer parts, peripherals, and accessories.
My Backporch Treasures
119 N. Ames Street Matthews, NC 28105
My Backporch Treasures is a small shop located in a converted home in downtown Matthews. This shop is open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. All their wares are donated by the community and sorted and priced by volunteers. Here, you will find unusual vintage treasures as well as low-priced essential items like toilet paper and paper towels. The best part is that all proceeds from the shop go to the Matthews Help Center, a non-profit organization that assists needy families in the Matthews area. The inventory in the store changes frequently, so it is worth visiting often if you enjoy thrift shopping and finding unique items. They also sell more upscale items online.
Plato's Closet
9623 E Independence Blvd., Matthews, 28105
9630-J University City Blvd., 28213
Plato's Closet is a popular chain of second-hand stores with two locations in Charlotte: one on University Blvd and the other on E. Independence Blvd. At Plato's Closet, you can find great deals on clothes and also sell your old clothes to earn cash. This store focuses on the latest brands and fashion trends for young people, but shoppers of all ages can discover something they love there. We highly recommend Plato's Closet for thrift shopping in Charlotte and staying on trend without overspending.
Uptown Cheapskate
5033 South Blvd, 28217
Uptown Cheapskate has four locations in the Charlotte area where you can sell your old clothes for either cash or store credit. If you opt for the store credit, you will earn 25% more in trade credit. Like Plato's Closet, Uptown Cheapskate focuses on the latest trends and styles suitable for teenagers and young adults. They also feature unique vintage and retro styles, but only after carefully screening items for snags, tears, and stains. Finally, the store is neatly organized and always filled with clothes, so plan to spend some time digging.
Where Ya Bin
1834 Matthews Township Pkwy Ste 100 Matthews, N 28105
Where Ya Bin is a new thrift store in the area that offers a unique concept. This discount chain fills blue bins with overstocked goods purchased from various online retailers. The pricing changes daily, starting at $14 for items on Fridays and decreasing until they reach only $0.25 on Thursdays. According to their website, customers can save up to ninety percent on their purchases.
If you enjoy the thrill of digging while thrifting, Where Ya Bin offers a wide selection of items, many of which are in unmarked boxes of various sizes and shapes. On some days, there could be up to forty bins available for people to explore. Furthermore, the inventory is regularly updated and refreshed, ensuring a constant stream of new items to choose from.
ZABS Place
100 N Trade St Matthews, NC 28105
ZABS Place is a thrift store and charitable organization that offers a wide range of top-quality merchandise, including home décor and clothing. This non-profit thrift boutique provides adults with special needs with training and paid employment opportunities. The store regularly hosts color discount days, during which items with specific colored tags are available for purchase at reduced prices. This store is well-organized, and you are likely to find great deals on high-end products.
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In Summary
Thrift stores in Charlotte, North Carolina, offer a range of traditional and unique thrift shopping experiences to customers. Expert thrift shoppers will find discounted electronics at The Grid, while school clothes are available at Plato's Closet and Uptown Cheapskate. Clothes Mentor offers deals on designer items, and My Backporch Treasures has a unique selection of vintage items that support the local community. For those with time to hunt for treasure, Where Ya Bin and Carolina Value Thrift are worth exploring. The bottom line is you will find great bargains in Charlotte's thrift stores.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.com.