For those seeking a bargain, Nanaimo is host to an assortment of thrift stores.
Shoppers visiting theNanaimo Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store might catch a special event, such as Christmas in July or a tea party, held in hopes of clearing out large collections.
Marlene Bell, auxiliary president, said clothes are the most commonly bought items, but some customers follow the store on Facebook to be the first to see its weekly changing window display for unusual finds ahead of opening on Tuesdays.
“Last year we started storing good jackets and then we had a jacket extravaganza, and it was crazy,” Bell said. “It was our first one so we probably put a lower price on them than we should’ve.”
In 2024, the auxiliary raised a record $1 million for Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and scored first in the Nanaimo News Bulletin’s ‘Best of the City’ survey in the Best Consignment or Thrift Store category.
Other thrift stores that readers seem to like include Nanaimo Hospice Shoppe and Deni’s Dynamite Deals, or for consignment, Funk Revival.
