Best Thrift Stores Near Meredith

Sustainable and ethical fashion is growing more and more important. In my experience, the best way to boycott the fast fashion industry without spending a fortune on American-made clothes is to shop secondhand. For anyone new to thrifting in Raleigh, I’ll be breaking down the top 5 local thrift store options in the Meredith area.

#1 Plato's Closet in Crossroads

Number one on the list is Plato’s Closet, located in the Crossroads shopping center in Cary. It’s about 10 minutes away from campus and, in my personal opinion, always has great deals and quality clothes, especially for women. Plato’s Closet buys clothes and jewelry directly from people in the community, which could be an easy way to make some money. They mainly sell things from fast fashion brands such as Forever 21, Shein, H&M and Fashion Nova for half the price of buying directly from these brands. They’re always up to date on the latest fashion trends, so I know that I can always find a cute new top or dress at an affordable price. They also sell men's clothes, jerseys, hats, shoes, designer bags and jewelry. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, so make sure to go check them out!

#2 Cause for Paws

Cause for Paws is located on S. Saunders Street about 10 minutes away from Meredith. It’s full of great finds, including clothes, bikes, dishes, furniture, jewelry, wedding dresses and other miscellaneous items for a great price. They even have cats that you can play with and adopt! They’re known for rescuing stray animals and using profits to support local animal shelters and pet adoption services. They also do new sales every day, and in 2017 they were named best consignment shop in Wake County by INDY Week. I highly recommend checking them out. They’re open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Cause for Paws is a great place to buy cheap items and even come home with a new pet!

#3 Thrift2Gift

Thrift2Gift is a Christian thrift store on Western Boulevard about five minutes away from Meredith. They have cheaply priced clothing, dishes, hair products, feminine hygiene products, jewelry, furniture, shoes and more. They also have prayer cards that you can write a prayer on and hand out free bibles to customers. Thrift2Gift supports a variety of charities and ministries in the community. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

#4 Uptown Cheapskate

Uptown Cheapskate is a good secondhand store with cheap, fashionable clothes. Like Plato’s Closet, Uptown buys and sells clothes from local people, so they’re directly putting money back into the community, whereas when buying from the mall or places like Shein, your money is going back into fast-fashion companies that utilize sweatshops in other countries. Uptown Cheapskate is the closest to Meredith as it is located in the Mission Valley Plaza off of Western Boulevard less than five minutes from campus. Students without cars can also use the Wolfline to check it out. You can also make some quick money by selling clothes there, but Uptown Cheapskate is picky about what they’ll take.

#5 Guardian Angel Thrift

Guardian Angel Thrift is a great option in the Triangle area with very affordable prices. It is similar to Goodwill but with better finds (in my opinion). The only reason I ranked this store lower on the list is because the two locations in Apex and Fuquay-Varina are both over 20 minutes away from campus. Nonetheless, Guardian Angel has great finds, great deals, a friendly atmosphere and a good range of sizes for everyone. Store hours can vary, but they’re usually open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. I would recommend checking it out especially if you can drive or are a commuter.

These are all highly rated thrift stores that are super convenient for Meredith students, and I highly recommend all of them from personal shopping experience. I suggest trying them out and seeing which one is best for you and fits your style. Being a conscious consumer is the first step in combatting the fashion pollution crisis and the exploitation of child labor that results from fast fashion. As consumers, we must shop responsibly, and thrifting is one easy way to do this.

By Abigail Ruehle, Contributing Writer