Some Minnesotans skip malls, shop secondhand Black Friday
MINNEAPOLIS -- Millions across the country will hit store and shop online sales on Black Friday in hopes of locking down deals of the season. But some in Minnesota took an antique approach to the day of discounts, skipping the mall for vintage stores instead.
Inside Hunt and Gather in Minneapolis, customers searched for unique gifts that only a secondhand shop would offer.
"I like the added challenge. Anyone can look in a circular or look online and see what's on sale, but in these little vintage shops you never know what you're going to find," said Alex Klute.
The National Retail Federation predicts 115 million Americans will shop the day after Thanksgiving—and millions more will buy online. Dozens of people woke up early and waited in line at the Mall of America before it opened, hoping to be among the first 200 people and score a gift card. Thousands are expected to shop there this weekend.
Debbie Bos of St. Paul prefers shopping at antique stores. On Friday, she was looking for the perfect additions to the ornaments that already adorn her Christmas tree.
"How great is this place to get anything you can imagine," she said.
Haily Strobel said she likes discovering apparel and home décor that is one-of-a-kind. Buying vintage also is a way for her to think intentionally about the environment.
"It's super fun you see so many different things—a lot of old things you don't normally see at a mall," she said. "I also like to shop second-hand because it's better for the environment. The fashion industry is very polluting."
Shopping secondhand is surging. Online resale platform OfferUp in a recent report estimated 80% growth in the next five years.
The group believes "recommerce" is growing faster than the traditional retail market and will hit $178 billion in sales this year.
ThredUp, an online store that focuses on clothing, similarly found in its own deep dive into resale that secondhand apparel shopping has soared 215% in the last decade.
Klute added that he believes buying antiques and vintage gifts makes presents for friends and family more personal.
"For me, it's like making a gift for someone versus just buying them something," Klute said. "Yes you're purchasing something here, but it's the thought that goes into purchasing something like that."