Amidst the restaurants and shops of Collingswood, nestled in between is the brightly painted and inviting Frugal Resale. With a large portion of 1990’s and other decade items, and a mix of men, women, and children’s styles leading up to today’s looks, Frugal offers a place to shop where there is plenty to choose from. And as Morgan Robinson, the owner of the thrift shop points out, Frugal Resale is a guilt free shopping experience where as she says, “Apart from the cost of resale clothing versus retail, there are numerous environmental benefits,” plus the great music played in the store. Right now is a great time to go and find some Spring items at an affordable and “green” price. Here’s what else Robinson had to say about her thrift store.
Q: How did Frugal Resale come to be?
A: I was dissatisfied with my former job of 12 years and with the publishing industry in general. I had been in publishing for 20 years, but wanted a new direction. I had long considered a business in Collingswood, as my family and I had lived here for eight years and are active in the community.
Q: Did you have specific goals in mind when opening the store? What made you want to own a store like this?
A: I wanted a hip and fresh thrift store so families could feel good about recycling and reusing clothing. The fact that the store operates on donations enables me to fulfill my goal of giving to charities as well.
Q: How do you get the items that you sell in the shop?
A: Everything in the store has been donated. I’m thrilled with the quality and generosity that we have received.
Q: Do you get a lot of vintage pieces to sell? Have you ever had a favorite item that came into the store to sell?
A: The more vintage we carry, the more gets donated. My team and I all have pieces that we fall in love with. My favorite jacket in life was donated about three years ago.
Q: What are the perks and benefits of shopping thrift?
A: Apart from the cost of resale clothing versus retail, there are numerous environmental benefits. From the pollution of the dying process of clothing, to the fuel used in shipping clothing around the world. There is enough clothing in existence right now that we could go decades without having to produce new.
Q: How does it aid in leading a green lifestyle?
A: Reducing consumption is the first key to living green. But the close second is reusing and repurposing the things we already have. Thrifting is the best way to do this. Higher quality goods are available at less than one would pay for the cheap “disposable” fashion at may big box and mall stores.
Q: What do you think sets Frugal a part from other thrift stores?
A: Our clothing is very organized and carefully inspected. We get steady praise for how easy it is to shop our selections. It is clean and bright, and smells good. My team and I love to do displays and they are extremely good at it. And the music is great in Frugal.
Q: Can you further explain the charity work that you do through the store?
A: We donate two percent of all gross sales to a different local charity each month. Not a percentage of profits—gross sales. And any items that don’t sell get donated to a local shelter or clothing drive.
There are times that we have been able to respond to emergencies by putting together clothing donations for victims of house fires or natural disasters. When hurricane Sandy hit, the clothing donations overwhelmed the need. We sold those excess items and donated 100% of the sales to Occupy Sandy.
We have also provided clothing or shoes to local school children in need by working with the PTA.
Blast from the Past 