With the cost of everyday essentials climbing, more families across the Tampa Bay area are turning to secondhand stores to outfit their kids for the new school year.
“We all know the prices of everything are going up so much. Everything from electric to groceries to everything is so much higher even now than it was a year ago or even two years ago,” said Jodie Whitehead, owner of Once Upon a Child North Tampa.
Resale shops such as Labelswap, Once Upon a Child North Tampa, and Tampa Thrift say they have noticed heavier foot traffic in recent weeks as parents look for ways to stretch their budgets ahead of the first day of class. Store representatives point to lower price tags, frequently refreshed inventory, and the opportunity for kids to score sought-after outfits without the retail markup as reasons the shopping method has caught on…