As someone whose go-to recommendation finder is TikTok, my For You page is constantly flooded with things happening around Nashville — from weekend pop-ups to new cafes opening every other week. During one of those late-night scrolls, I stumbled across a video from local influencer Lillian Claire featuring a new shop called Happy Thrift Store.
As two women who love both fitness and thrifting, we were instantly intrigued. The store sells high-quality secondhand athleisure — think Lululemon, Alo and Hoka — at a fraction of retail prices. After digging further, we knew that Happy Thrift deserved a deep dive into its story.
Located just a 15-minute drive from campus in Berry Hill, Happy Thrift Store is in a building that houses a variety of small businesses. Walking in, we were met with bright holiday decor and racks of carefully curated athletic wear. Shoes lined one wall — rows of nearly new On Clouds and Hokas — and the space felt as vibrant as its name suggests. Prices were pretty fair: Most items were in excellent condition and cost significantly less than what you would pay for retail.
After a quick browse, we sat down with owner and founder Ana Paola de Leon for an insightful conversation. Happy Thrift’s origins come from the sweetest start: de Leon’s love for her dog, Coco Chanel. Back in college at the University of Houston, de Leon would make the six-hour drive to visit her parents in Matamoros, Mexico, where she grew up. Boarding her dog was too expensive, so she got creative: She began trading thrifted Lululemon pieces to her roommate in exchange for dog-sitting…