COLUMBIA, S.C. — After Christmas, thrift stores across the Midlands are seeing donations and shoppers looking for deals. Goodwill Industries and Plato’s Closet are among many stores benefiting from the post-holiday rush.
Mike Bell, regional manager at Goodwill, said people often shop or donate with others in mind. “This is the season for that, and people are coming in. It might not even be for them. They might be buying for other people that don’t have it in our community to give to them or to pass it on to them,” Bell said.
Plato’s Closet store manager Stephanie Breighner said unsold inventory isn’t wasted. “The cool thing about what we do now is any inventory that doesn’t sell, we keep it and we do a big event called ‘Take What You Need.’ It’s customers, but also anybody who is in need of items. They can take up to 15 to 20 items for free,” Stephanie said. The store hosts the event every two clearance cycles, with the next one scheduled in February…