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How does Thrift Town get its merchandise?
Thrift Town/NSC is a for-profit business that buys a large majority of its merchandise from several non-profit organizations. The money they raise from selling us "recycled goods" enables them to provide much needed programs and services to people in need. Since 1972 Thrift Town/NSC has generated nearly 70 million dollars in total profits for non-profit organizations. We at NSC/Thrift Town are proud to be part of such a meaningful and worth while fundraising effort. Thank you for your interest and support!
What does Thrift Town do with the stuff it can't sell?
Because of Thrift Town’s commitment to responsible recycling, any merchandise not suitable for sale at Thrift Town is sold to outside companies who either use the material to manufacture other products and/or distribute the clothing to third world countries. Although it takes more work, it is a much better than adding more stuff to our landfills
Has everything for sale in Thrift Town been donated to the store?
No. Every Thrift Town store BUYS all of its merchandise from a local charity (nonprofit organization).
How does Thrift Town pay the charity for the merchandise?
Every Thrift Town store has a buy/sell contract with a local nonprofit organization. We purchase all of our merchandise (sight unseen) by the “cart” (a way to measure merchandise by the cubic foot). We negotiate cart purchase prices every six months with our nonprofit partners.
Does Thrift Town pay the charity fairly?
Yes. We are always aware of the current open market rates, and we take great pride in continuously paying top dollar (above fair market value) to our charity partners for the merchandise. Over three decades, we have generously paid our nonprofit partners more than our contracted guarantee. This is unheard of in our industry.
Do Thrift Town employees solicit for the donation of used household items?
No. Thrift Town, by law, cannot solicit for donated merchandise. We may only purchase it directly from the charity at the negotiated fair-market cart purchase price. All telemarketers (donor service representatives) and truck drivers are employed by the nonprofit organizations.
When people donate to the charity, are they informed that their donation is going to be sold to a “for-profit” thrift store?
Yes. Our contracts state that, upon request, all donors will be made aware of the arrangement between the charity and Thrift Town. Donors are informed, upon request, that their donation will be sold to Thrift Town in order to generate vital funds for the charity. In addition, this information is disclosed on the printed materials, including the tax receipts, given directly to all donors.
How much money does the charity actually make?
Due to standard retail business cycles, revenue to our charity partners varies by month per individual market. Since 1972, the business partnerships combined have generated over 70 million dollars in profit for our charity partners.
Do the charities depend on the money being raised through their partnership with Thrift Town?
Yes. In most cases, this source of income represents between 70-90% (or more) of the charity’s overall budget. There are some nonprofit partners who have been able to lower this percentage, but these critical funds still remain a large portion of their overall budget. Without these funds, most of our nonprofit partners would be unable to provide their much-needed programs and services.
What does Thrift Town do with its share of the profit?
Thrift Town’s parent company, Norquist Salvage Corporation, uses its minority portion of profits to fund employee profit sharing programs, corporate expenses, expansion, capitalization, debt interest and taxes.
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