Most people think online thrift stores only sell used clothes, but that’s not true.
They offer all kinds of things like jewelry, musical instruments, rare toys, classic furniture, old books, antiques, and more.
In 2022, the secondhand clothing market was worth $177 billion, and is projected to hit $351 billion by 2027.
We have extensive experience of setting up successful online stores and we want to share that with you.
We’ll guide you through:
- 6 essential steps on how you can start an online thrift store
- How to source great products
- Effective store promotion strategies that actually work
6 Steps To Start an Online Thrift Store
We are going to explain how to start an online store from scratch. Follow us and you’ll be ready to sell your thrift items in no time!
1. Research Your Niche
Starting your own online thrift store is much like starting any online business.
It begins with thorough research to select the right products and understand your customers.
Start by observing your community and talking to friends and family.
Search online to identify popular thrift store items and trends. Engage in consumer forums and social media groups for insights.
Don’t forget to check industry reports for a broader perspective. This can help you identify the right products for your target audience and set you on the path to success.
Here are some popular categories that thrifters look for:
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Toys
- Furniture
- Kitchen items
- Home appliances
- Books
- Home decor
You don’t have to begin with a specific category. You can sell whatever you like!
Having a focus can help you manage your inventory more efficiently, getting the most out of your investment.
As you expand, you can always introduce other product lines to your store.
👉 Recommended Reading: Profitable eCommerce Business Ideas
2. Name Your Online Thrift Store
After you’ve picked the items you want to sell, the next step is to give your store a name.
Choosing a business name is a big deal because it can have a lasting impact on your business.
Search for the Right Name
Just as you did when choosing your niche, it’s time to brainstorm and create a list of potential names for your store.
Opt for a name that’s short and easy to recall. A simple name can give you an edge in being memorable.
For instance, did you know Amazon was initially called Cadabra, inspired by “abracadabra”?
However, they realized it was an unusual name that people might struggle to spell and say, so they changed it for simplicity.
3. Check Domain Name Availability
When you have to start an online thrift store, it’s essential to check if the name you want is available.
For instance, our website, www.wpastra.com, matches what we sell – the Astra WordPress theme.
Typically, you register a domain name through a domain registrar. This company takes care of your domain for a specific period, and you pay a small yearly fee.
Some domain registrars we suggest are NameCheap, Domain.com, and SiteGround.
If you want to learn more about domain names and how to register them, we have a comprehensive tutorial on the topic.
Create a Logo
Next up, you’ll want a great logo that speaks to your audience about your values and the items you sell.
A well-designed logo can quickly catch the eye of customers.
You’ve got a couple of options. You can hire a freelancer from websites like Upwork or Fiverr, or you can make one for free using online tools like Canva and Logo.
This video shows you how to create a logo with some simple tools:
A Tagline Is Important
Now, let’s talk about taglines. They play a crucial role in showcasing your brand and conveying your values.
When used alongside your logo, a tagline quickly tells people what your business is all about.
A clever tagline is a brief statement that’s easy for consumers to remember.
It helps you stand out from your competitors and, if used effectively, becomes a memorable part of your brand.
For instance, think of “Think Different,” and you immediately connect it with Apple. Likewise, “The Next Big Thing” brings Samsung to mind without needing to see their name or logo.
That’s how taglines work!
4. Choose Platform for an Online Thrift Store
To set up your online thrift store, you can use eCommerce platforms like Shopify or go for a more flexible choice like WordPress.
We recommend WordPress for several reasons:
- It’s the most popular content management system in the world, running more than 43% of websites.
- With WordPress, you have full control over how your website looks and functions.
- You’re in charge of your inventory, orders, and payments.
- With the right tools, using WordPress is a pleasant experience.
You can open an online thrift store in just a few steps when you use WordPress.
5. Set Up an Online Thrift Store With WordPress
Follow these steps to create a super interactive website in under 60 minutes.
Get Web Hosting
A good web host gives you the speed, security, and uptime to make your online store a hit.
Here are some web hosts we recommend for their trustworthiness and how well they perform:
In this tutorial, we’ll go with DreamHost. They’re known for their speedy and secure web hosting and are among the top choices for managed WordPress.
To get started, pick WooCommerce Hosting under WordPress from their menu.
On the next page, you’ll see three plans. The most budget-friendly ones are DreamPress and DreamPress Plus.
We suggest picking DreamPress because it’s important to have ample server resources.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option, start with a basic plan and upgrade whenever it suits you.
PRO TIP:
DreamHost also gives you a free domain name for the first year. If you haven’t bought your domain name yet, this is a great way to save some money.
On the next page, type in your current domain name or make a new one if you decide to use DreamHost as your domain registrar.
Now, proceed to the checkout page and fill in your details.
Be sure to deselect the DreamShield Protection addon. You can skip it for now and opt for it later if you prefer.
Install WordPress
There are several ways to install WordPress. You can go with the DreamHost auto installer, use FTP, or rely on the setup wizard.
The simplest method is to install WordPress directly from the DreamHost dashboard.
Find Install WordPress on the left side of the server admin area under the WordPress menu.
Click the Add a Domain button, and then just follow the installation wizard.
The process is quick and easy and should take just a couple of minutes.
Install the Astra Theme
A theme is like the outfit your website wears – it includes files for the style, graphics, and code that determine how your site looks.
When you set up WordPress, it gives you a few basic themes, but they’re quite simple.
To launch your online thrift store, you need a versatile theme that’s strong, quick, lightweight, and totally customizable.
Plus, it should be able to support an eCommerce site since you’re starting a thrift store.
We proudly present Astra – a theme that has it all.
It’s the top theme in town with over 2.3 million downloads and more than 5,600 five-star reviews.
Astra also comes with a fantastic collection of plugins that work seamlessly for any project, including your thrift store.
Getting Astra is easy. It’s a free theme you can install directly from the WordPress repository.
Just go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress admin and type Astra in the search bar.
Click Install and then activate the theme when the option appears.
Astra comes with a whopping 240+ professionally crafted Starter Templates, and some are perfect for building online stores.
To get these templates, go to Plugins > Add New and search for Starter Templates.
Install and activate the plugin just like you did with the theme.
Now, head to Appearance > Starter Templates, pick your page builder, and select an eCommerce template from the options.
You can make it simpler by typing online store in the search box.
With the block editor, you’ll see some beautiful free templates for your store.
If you want to explore more design options, you can choose Elementor or Beaver Builder.
For this tutorial, we’ll go with the block editor, and if you want, you can enhance it with the Spectra page builder.
Once you make your choice, you’ll see Spectra added alongside the starter template.
You’re free to pick any template In our case, we’re choosing the Brandstore template for our example thrift store.
You’ll be prompted to select your logo, colors, and fonts before it starts building your site.
If you wish to personalize any aspect of your thrift store, these tutorials will be super useful:
- How to customize the Checkout Page in WooCommerce – Complete Guide
- 4 Easy Ways to Create a Custom Page Template in WordPress
- How to Customize the WooCommerce Product Page
Optimize Your Online Thrift Store
Before you welcome visitors to your store, it’s important to set up the groundwork for search engine optimization (SEO).
To boost your SEO efforts, consider using these plugins:
Yoast
Yoast is the go-to SEO plugin as it has all the important tools to enhance your on-site SEO. It’s a superstar with over 5 million downloads and 25,000 five-star reviews.
With Yoast, you can craft and manage metadata, including keywords for your site and its pages. Plus, its XML sitemap makes it easy to automatically share your content with search engines like Google.
Most of Yoast’s features are free, but if you want to unlock advanced SEO tools for WooCommerce, you can opt for the premium version.
Schema Pro
Websites that look good in search engines attract more clicks. When people search, things like product images, reviews, rankings, and prices catch their eye.
That’s where Schema Pro comes in. When used alongside Yoast, it’s a powerful combo for boosting your website’s ranking in search results.
The better your site looks in search, the more visitors you’ll attract.
Schema Pro lets you control schema settings across your site or fine-tune them for individual pages. You can even test schema in real-time and get helpful suggestions.
If you want to learn more about how this plugin works, read our detailed review.
W3 Total Cache Plugin
W3 Total Cache is the granddaddy of cache plugins, with more than 1 million active users. This plugin can really speed up your page loading, making things better for everyone.
It’s not just about speed; W3 Total Cache also helps SEO, improves core web vitals, and enhances the overall user experience. These factors are key for better website rankings.
The plugin is beginner-friendly and if you need help installing it on your site, we’ve got a thorough review and step-by-step tutorial to guide you.
6. Make Your Online Thrift Store eCommerce-Ready
When you install one of Astra’s theme templates, it handles all the important plugins you require.
In our example, we used the Brandstore template.
Astra also sets up well-known eCommerce plugins for your store, like WooCommerce, Variation Swatches for WooCommerce, and Checkout Plugins – Stripe for WooCommerce.
These plugins cover the essential eCommerce requirements for your thrift store.
WooCommerce
WordPress and WooCommerce make a dynamic duo for crafting stunning eCommerce websites. WooCommerce is the top eCommerce plugin, used on over 5 million websites, and it has everything to create any online store.
The plugin has a strong ecosystem, offering free and paid extensions to level up your store.
The best part is that WooCommerce works seamlessly with Astra, which is the ultimate eCommerce theme.
Astra provides many ready-to-use layouts that support WooCommerce and comes with features to make your site load super fast.
You could also consider SureCart as an alternative to WooCommerce. It’s easy to use, free and has the tools you need to build an online store.
CartFlows
CartFlows is a robust tool for building sales funnels that can reduce cart abandonment, improve conversions, and implement upsells or order bumps.
With CartFlows, you can also run A/B tests to determine which checkout layout works best.
You have the option to use professionally designed templates or customize them for various stages in the sales process.
In a nutshell, CartFlows can supercharge your site into a selling powerhouse!
Interested in learning more about how CartFlows can boost your sales?
Checkout Plugins – Stripe for WooCommerce
A fantastic user experience means offering customers the payment options they prefer when shopping online.
A smoother checkout process increases the likelihood of making a sale.
Stripe for WooCommerce can help with this. When you enable Stripe payments, your customers can pay using Visa, Mastercard, and other banks like Cartes Bancaires, Interac, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Diners Club, and others.
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce comes in handy by enabling shoppers to pick from various product options.
For instance, if you offer products in different colors and sizes, this plugin helps you display those options in an attractive manner, making it easier to secure sales.
Furthermore, you can customize these swatches to match the overall look and feel of your website.
How To Source Products for Your Online Thrift Store
While it may seem like finding secondhand items is easy, it often takes some effort.
Consider planning weekend trips to flea markets, garage sales, and estate sales to source items for your store.
Explore places where you can buy things at reasonable prices, leaving room for a small profit.
Don’t overlook local thrift stores in the suburbs – they can be a goldmine for unique inventory.
Start by exploring the spots in your town, and gradually expand your search across the city.
Buying local offers more opportunities for better discounts but does require some legwork.
You can also make the most of annual events like Black Friday, which offer massive discounts on higher-priced used items.
How To Promote Your Online Store
Once you’ve established your online thrift store and stocked up on items, it’s time to attract visitors using digital marketing.
As an online store owner, having a basic understanding of where to focus your efforts for traffic is crucial.
If you followed our setup guide, you’ve likely installed important SEO plugins and are ready to optimize your website for on-site SEO.
Use TikTok, Instagram and Facebook
You have plenty of options for promoting your thrift store on social media, but TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are likely to bring you quicker results.
TikTok has gained immense popularity in a short time, with 3 billion downloads. This means a massive potential audience.
Instagram and Facebook, together, have over 3 billion active users. So, you only need a fraction of that to boost your store.
You can use paid ads on these platforms to get noticed early, but there are also proven strategies to naturally attract a decent audience.
The Benefits of Starting an Online Thrift Store
Starting a thrift store online comes with great perks, especially in the age of online shopping.
Big names like Goodwill and Vestiaire Collective Vintage are some examples that have thrived over recent years.
eBay and Etsy also host successful thrift stores like Retro and Me.
Even famous Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda loves thrifting, which shows it’s not limited to any income group.
Vintage Laura Ashley dresses are still a hit.
Need more convincing?:
- People can buy high-quality items at a fraction of the original price from thrift stores, which is why the demand keeps increasing.
- NARTS, the association of resale professionals, have seen a 7% increase in thrift stores in the US.
- The US used merchandise industry boasts around 20,000 stores making about $15 billion in annual revenue. It’s expected to hit $53 billion by the end of 2023.
- According to Globaldata, American households have a whopping $580 billion worth of unused items ready to find new homes in thrift stores.
- US consumers are projected to spend $353 billion on second-hand goods by 2030, the same report predicts.
Considering all this, it’s clear that starting an online thrift store could be the best eCommerce idea you had this year!
Final Thoughts
Starting an online thrift store is a fantastic idea, especially in tough economic times.
This niche is thriving, with a growing audience. Many people are embracing secondhand shopping to reduce their impact on the environment.
Our tutorial covers everything, from the advantages of starting a thrift store to the step-by-step process of creating one successfully.
We’ll also share the top tools and tips to help your online thrift store stand out.
If you’ve followed our advice to build your thrift store or need more help, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Start an Online Thrift Store FAQs
Is an Online Thrift Store Profitable?
Running an online thrift store can definitely be a lucrative venture. It’s more affordable to establish and operate compared to a physical store, yet it can bring in similar profits.
Online thrift stores offer additional advantages, as customers can shop around the clock, 24/7. Even if your items are priced on the lower side, the potential for higher profits through increased sales volume is significant.
How Do I Start an Online Thrift Store on Instagram?
To kick off your online thrift store on Instagram, begin by creating your website and connecting it to your Instagram account.
You can use both platforms to attract visitors to your site or even sell directly on Instagram. In either approach, the more visibility you get, the greater your potential for sales.
How Do Thrift Stores Get Their Inventory?
Thrift stores gather their inventory from various sources, such as garage sales, flea markets, door-to-door campaigns, and clearance sales when items are no longer in production.
If you know where to look, you can even purchase items from other thrift stores at better discounts than what you sell in your store.
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