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Thrift stores growing into a post-pandemic trend By ThoMas KeLLy
There is a culture—not a subculture, but a full-blown culture—of people who shop for and buy gently used items. There are reasons that gently used items are in demand—most notably, affordability and style. There are many options in this area for what is known as secondhand items. There are brick and mortar stores, flea markets and even online ways to buy previously loved items. Thrifting can be an economi-
cal way for people to add to their wardrobe. But there are other reasons that people thrift besides saving money. At its heart, thrifting equals shopping. So, if someone asks if you would you like to go thrifting, you may be headed for an adventure. Thrifting became a necessity for many people during the pandemic, especially for those who lost their jobs temporarily or permanently because of the pandemic’s effect on the economy. But the popularity of resale shopping hasn’t died down at
all in the year and a half since. In fact, thrifting is as popular as ever. According to a study commissioned by the online resale platform ThredUp, the U.S. secondhand apparel market is valued at $36 billion today, and is forecast to reach $77 billion in five years. One in five Americans will shop at a thrift store during a given year, about the same number who will shop at a major department store. Thrifters look for clothing, See THRIFTING, Page 8
Their courage and compassion inspire usUrbanist’ all. ‘American played a role
in shaping Route 1 development
One morning, a message written in chalk appeared in front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words couldn’t have been simpler, or more soul stirring, EdiTedaccurate. by BiLL SanserVino ments began to fill the formerly or more
open lands along the PlainsboroRichard Rein’s critically praised Lawrence-West Wndsor region of biography of urban critic William Route 1. “Heroes H. Whyte, American Urbanist: Rein is the retired editorial work here.” How William H. Whyte’s Uncon- director of the West Windsor & ventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Plainsboro News. He founded the Life, reads, in part, like a review of paper in 2000. Three words of gratitude and encouragement that 20th Century America. He was also the on-the-scene capture the courage and compassion of health Yet, in addition to seeing reporter for his newly launched workers here and across America. To share your High School South’s Dean Lourenco was a medalist at the NJSIAA Whyte’s methods at work, area U.S. 1 newspaper in the 1980s, thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund, Meet of Champions for the winter indoor track season The event was readers will get something more: which truly makes Rein’s efforts visit rwjbh.org/heroes held on March 4-5. For more, turn to Page 19. (Photo by Rich Fisher.) a review of the game-changing the proverbial “one for the books,” era when corporate develop- as the following excerpt shows: And please, for them, stay home and safe.
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In the early 1980s two new office centers loomed on large, undeveloped tracts in the Princeton-Route 1 corridor. One development, the Princeton Forrestal Center, was started by the deeppocketed Princeton University, which wanted to protect its nearly one thousand acres of landholdings from urban sprawl. The university foresaw a large corporate center that would eventually attract large-scale users See WHYTE, Page 11
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