If we hear about how inflation continues to bust household budgets one more time, we may scream. We are very much aware of rising prices, thank you very much. But it seems that Americans have been using very different strategies to handle tough times, and some of these strategies correlate to their generation.
A survey by StockApps found that Baby Boomers are more likely to buy things on sale, while Gen Z prefers to buy used items. What the survey suggests is that because Boomers prefer to buy on sale, they are more conservative with their money. Gen Zers, on the other hand, are “thinking outside of the box” by going for used items.
Gallery: The Best Online Thrift Stores for Buying Used Furniture (and Other Household Goods)
@nataliejillfit When my GEN Z daugher @penelope🕷 takes me #thrifting ♬ Oblivion - Grimes
It seems like there's a good amount of truth to this. A thread on r/GenZ posed the question, “Where do you buy your clothes from?” The answers were in line with the study’s results. Nearly all of the Redditors who responded say they shop at thrift stores at least some of the time.
“Grailed, Etsy, eBay, local thrift stores, local marketplace apps, cool brands on Instagram, etc” says one Redditor.
In fact, thrift stores have become so popular with Gen Z that there’s actually discussion on Reddit about how the stores' prices are on the rise, making it progressively harder to get a good deal.
"Goodwill is also squeezing their supply, to drive up prices," claims a Redditor.
"My Goodwill is a bunch of Target pallet s--t that they have to charge close to or above what Target was charging when they had the stuff on clearance,” claims another subscriber.
Meanwhile, Boomers just aren't as interested in going to a thrift store. According to a report from Talon.One, they’re more likely to take reviews and recommendations into consideration when buying something. They also expect friendly customer service when they shop in-store, which isn't typically what you go to a thrift store for.
Wherever and however you shop, we’re all for never paying full price on anything — no matter your age.
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