Thrift shopping has been gaining traction in the last few years, especially since we’re becoming more environmentally conscious as a society. It’s also a go-to option as it doesn’t break your wallet while getting pretty, vintage preloved pieces to style your wardrobe up any way you want. There are literally no downsides to it.
Located in City Gate mall, which is a stone’s throw away from Nicoll Highway MRT, FiveFinds Thrift Market stands out from the majority of the thrift stores I’ve come across, mostly because it inspires its shoppers to do good while picking out a vintage gem from as little as $5! You heard that right, you CAN make a difference to society by shopping here at affordable prices! That’s because they donate to charities and beneficiaries every time they do pop-ups. Happy guilt-free shopping, and as always, fastest fingers first!
FiveFinds Thrift Market was founded as a passion project of two good friends, Rachel and Christel, to help people bring new value to their old, preloved clothing. Their mission is to stand out in the thrift shopping scene, adding a different angle that focuses on helping society as a whole, along with the environment. “We want to make it easy for everyone to participate,” Rachel adds.
Currently, they see themselves as more than just a thrift store. Instead, they see themselves as an enabler that inspires the community to take action towards the greater good. “What comes around goes around, whether it’s on a personal, social, or environmental axis,” Rachel explains, “We aim to be a multi-platform brand that embodies the concept of doing good via circularity.”
It seems they are doing just that. FiveFinds engages beneficiaries and their communities, and has future plans to collaborate with brands and designers that focus on sustainability. As a believer of collaboration and the power of community, they know how they fit into the broader picture of society. So when you shop at their thrift store, you are definitely helping a good cause!
The Circularity Movement
Sustainable Fashion
FiveFinds Thrift Market only takes in preloved clothing items from the community and resells them at pocket-friendly prices. From just $5 a piece, you can get fashionable, vintage treasures. If you do not like what you have purchased, you can always return it and be refunded. Don’t worry, it will go to a new home.
Inclusive Community
They encourage participation from everyone in the community, no matter who you are. The aim is to build an inclusive community that integrates “do good” in their lifestyles, and coming together to do so, and make a difference.
“Do Good” Platform
Whenever you shop at FiveFinds Thrift Market, you are also donating to charitable organisations. 20% of their proceeds are donated to a chosen beneficiary each time they have a pop-up. In December, they have donated to Habitat for Humanity Singapore’s #HomethisChristmas campaign.
For their second pop-up, they are donating their proceeds to GIVE to a Generation of Purpose by Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH). You can find more about their campaign here.
For every pop-up edition, Rachel and Christel decide on a community sector and look for a fundraising campaign by a charity or non-profit organisation that they resonate with, and pledge to contribute 20% of their proceeds to them. “We give because we can, not only as an act of goodwill, but because we believe in reciprocity,” Rachel explains, “we see FiveFinds as a sort of facilitator for good, not only for the environment but also for the community at large. We hope to channel some of this good to the underprivileged and those in need.”
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for them. Rachel and Christel only had just over one week to get everything ready for their first pop-up back in December. The store’s design, store branding, logistics, collection of items, and social media marketing were all put together just within a couple of days. Once, they even stayed at the store space till 3am in the morning to build the Instagrammable magazine wall, where you can take trendy pictures with your hauls!
Even though it is tiring for both of them, they have also experienced fulfillment and joy from running the thrift shop. “The joy of thrifting is that there’s only one of everything,” Rachel chuckles, “it’s fun to watch our customers sift through numerous items in real life to find the gem they love. Plus, there is a lot of value in getting to look at the condition of the item, sizing, and material in-person before you choose to take it home.”
As for the items that go unsold, they are also looking for ways to upcycle and bring new life to those. The duo is looking to work on a sub-brand that centres around upcycling unsold clothing items from the store, and reworking them into novel, unique pieces. This sub-brand aims to eventually provide a platform for other upcyclers in the community to utilise their creativity and turn unwanted clothing into new items, with new value.
“Along with that, we are working on other community engagement initiatives, especially with the beneficiaries we support, and we do not plan to stop,” Rachel says with a smile.
You too can support this humble initiative! Follow their Instagram to find out more.
