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Are Thrift Stores and Charity Shops the Same Thing

“‘thrift store’. I understand this is American terminology, and their name for an equivalent of our charity shops”
Yes, equivalent term
Confidence: High Checked on May 25, 2026

Summary

In the United States and Canada, “thrift store” is the common term for what the UK calls a charity shop. Both refer to retail outlets run by charitable organizations that sell donated, used goods to raise funds. The terminology aligns across these English‑speaking regions.

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Sources 60 searched

en.wikipedia.org
  • Charity shop - Wikipedia

    Charity shops may also be referred to as thrift stores in the United States and Canada (a term which also includes some for-profit stores such as Savers), hospice shops, resale shops (a term that in the United States also covers consignment shops), opportunity (or op) shops in Australia and ...

justapedia.org
  • Charity shop - Justapedia

    A charity shop (British English), thrift shop or thrift store (American English and Canadian English) or opportunity shop or op-shop (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money. Charity shops are a type of social enterprise.

dictionary.cambridge.org
faithmissionwf.org
  • What is a Thrift Store? | Wichita Falls Faith Mission

    Thrift stores are shops that sell gently used items donated by the community, such as clothes, furniture, books, and toys, at affordable prices. These stores offer a unique shopping experience where you can find budget-friendly treasures while ...

separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com
  • Separated by a Common Language: charity shop/thrift store

    While you could say that the two ... (US informal) experiences. Most UK charity shops are smallish shops in the high street (UK; = US 'on the main shopping street, downtown'), while US thrift stores often have warehouse or supermarket proportions....

thrifted.com
skylinebusinessservices.co.uk

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