12 Best Thrift Stores in London Ontario
Are you hunting for the best thrift stores in London, Ontario? If so, this post’s for you!
Who doesn’t love the excitement of snagging a great deal? I bet you do – otherwise you probably wouldn’t be reading this!
Well I have good news for you. There are some amazing thrift stores in London, Ontario where you can go to find a great selection of items at unbeatable prices.
12 Best Thrift Stores in London, Ontario
We’ll start with the biggest names in thrift stores in London, and then move into some independent shops selling quality second-hand and vintage items. We’ll give you an idea of what you can expect at each, as well as where you can find them throughout the city.
1. Goodwill Community Store
Goodwill operates the biggest chain of thrift stores in London, and it’s one of our favourite to hunt for amazing brands at ridiculous deals.
Goodwill has long been a big name in the second-hand store world. It’s a store with a mission of “Changing Lives Through the Power of Work.”
I love that I can feel even better about my second-hand purchase knowing I’m supporting an organization that practically helps people in our community who face significant barriers to employment, often through in-store jobs.
Goodwill stores tend to have a great selection of clothing, shoes, toys and even furniture. As one of the most well-known second hand stores in London, their donation centres receive a lot of quality donations that they are able to distribute to the different store branches.
There are three types of Goodwill stores: Community Stores, Bookstore and Boutique Store. No matter what type of store you go to, they all have unique items at really great prices. You can even join the Goodwill ShopperClub email list to get exclusive discounts days, sale notifications, coupons and more.
Goodwill London Locations:
255 Horton St E
1225 Wonderland Rd N
3410 White Oaks Rd
1165 Oxford St E
1044 Adelaide St N (Bookstore)
979 Wellington Rd (Bookstore)
765 Hyde Park Rd (Boutique Store)
2. Value Village
Another on of the biggest thrift store chains in London, and one of my long-time favourites, is Value Village. Value Village is one of the most well-known thrift store names in North America and carries a good reputation when it comes to finding quality items at a low price.
Value Village’s three London locations are in massive buildings with almost endless merchandise to keep you browsing for hours.
While prices seem to have gone up over the last few years (which is a trend across all second hand stores), Value Village is still a great place to find massive selections of clothing, toys, books, shoes and more. There’s also typically a decent selection of furniture and unique items.
You can join their Saver’s Club for exclusive email offers, accumulate Flexpoints for store redemption, and even get a birthday coupon.
Value Village London Locations:
530 Oxford St W
1553 Dundas St
4465 Wellington Rd S
3. Mission Thrift Store
Mission Thrift Store has two fairly large locations in London – one in the south end and one in the northwest end of the city. They have a large selection of quality items in store, ranging from clothing, books, furniture, household items and toys.
They previously went by the name Bibles for Missions, but their name has now been changed to Mission Thrift Stores. I love shopping at Mission Thrift Store, especially on bargain days when the whole store is 50% off!
I’ve personally had a few great finds here including a Yeti thermos for $2 and Ziya jogger pants for less than $10. It’s finds like this that keep me coming back for that oh-so-addicting treasure hunting!
Mission Thrift Store London Locations:
784 Wharncliffe Rd S
2020 Hyde Park Rd
4. Talize Thrift Store
Talize is located in a massive warehouse at the Huron and Highbury intersection. You’ll regularly find great deals on all kinds of clothing and household items here. The store is literally overflowing with secondhand items and is a place you can easily get lost in for hours as you browse their shelves.
Talize is a uniquely Canadian thrift shop chain with a focus on sustainable fashion. Keep your eyes peeled for their discount days, as they regularly have storewide sales and even offer a discount when you donate items!
Talize Thrift Store London Location:
1345 Huron St
5. Mission Store
Mission Store – not to be confused with Mission Thrift Store – is located in the Western Fair District of Old East Village. Mission Store is the affiliated with Mission Services of London, a major charity in the city tackling homelessness and issues related to inner-city poverty.
You can regularly find great deals in Mission Store’s fairly large warehouse, as they have weekly, rotating coloured-tag sales for 50% off discounts!
Mission Store London Location:
797 York St
6. Teen Challenge Canada Thrift Store
Teen Challenge Thrift Store is a branch of Teen Challenge Canada, a non-profit organization helping men and women overcome substance abuse addictions through faith-based treatment and rehabilitation. Their store is located beside Food Basics on Commissioners Rd, east of Highbury Ave.
The shop has a wide variety of quality items including clothing, household items and furniture, and all proceeds from the thrift store go directly towards Teen Challenge Canada’s rehabilitation and recovery efforts.
Teen Challenge Thrift Store London Location:
1200 Commissioners Rd E
7. Salvation Army Thrift Store
The Salvation Army is known worldwide for its charitable works, and their London location is no different. The Salvation Army Thrift Store supports countless local Salvation Army programs, services and emergency relief efforts.
Their medium-sized store has a fairly large selection of items including clothing, furniture, books and toys and more.
If you’re looking to donate items, they have a convenient covered drive-through drop off centre accepting donations 7 days a week at their Dundas Street store location.
Salvation Army Thrift Store London Location:
1960 Dundas St
8. Saint Vincent de Paul Store
Saint Vincent de Paul is another key actor in the local fight against poverty, with a mission to serve the poor without distinction or discrimination and to promote dignity according to their Christian values.
There are two small-medium sized stores in London’s Old East neighbourhoods. The store on York Street also services members of the community who are looking to redeem their clothing, furniture and food vouchers that they’ve received through the St. Vincent de Paul charity.
Saint Vincent de Paul London Locations:
585 York St
1005 Elias St
Independent Thrift Stores in London, Ontario
London is also home to a number of independently run, and often privately owned secondhand stores where prices are low on great quality items.
9. RENEW Community Store
RENEW Community Store is a non-profit thrift store that donates all of its proceeds to local Christian education, in particular London District Christian Secondary School.
The store was previously known as My Neighbor’s Closet and operates in the Argyle community on Clarke Rd north of Dundas St.
The shop is filled with a wide range of items including clothing, furniture, household items and toys at awesome prices.
RENEW Community Store London Location:
476 Clarke Rd
10. Back to the Fuchsia & The Sentimentalist
Back to the Fuchsia is one of Old East Village’s eclectic, quality vintage and second-hand shops.
Unlike many of the larger thrift stores, Back to the Fuchsia is very selective in what second-hand items they sell in their store. And that’s what makes them the perfect place to find quality vintage homeware, furniture, artwork, jewelry items and much more.
They share a storefront with The Sentimentalist, which focuses on quality vintage clothing items.
Back to the Fuchsia & The Sentimentalist Location:
1034 Dundas St
11. Silk Road Store
Selling used furniture, housewares, clothing and more, Silk Road Store is another great second-hand shop and consignment store in Old East Village.
Whether you’re looking to get a bargain on a practical item for your home, or hunting for a unique find to wear, Silk Road is filled with deals on previously-owned items of all kinds.
Silk Road Store Location:
662 Dundas St
12. Old East Exchange Thrift
Old East Exchange Thrift is a small, independent thrift store and consignment shop located three blocks east of Adelaide Street, in the heart of Old East Village. Here you’ll find second-hand and vintage items ranging from houseware and furniture to books and jewelry.
And if you need even more of an incentive to shop here, they support the local Autism London charity with a portion of their profits.
Old East Exchange Thrift Location:
784 Dundas St
Thrift Store FAQs
What is a thrift store?
A thrift store is a shop that sells gently used and sometimes vintage items, including clothing, household products, toys, books and furniture. These stores are typically operated by charities or nonprofit organizations and all proceeds are used to support their cause.
What kind of items can I find at thrift stores?
At most thrift stores you can find a variety of items, including amazing brands! Clothing, furniture, electronics, books, toys, and housewares are the most common items at thrift stores. Some stores also specialize in quality vintage items. If you need or want it, there’s a good chance someone else in your community once owned it and has donated it.
What is the difference between thrift stores and consignment stores?
Thrift stores are often run as a charity, selling items that have been donated. These items are usually gently used but may show some signs of wear.
Consignment stores also sell second-hand items, but these items are typically slightly newer and in better condition since they have been sold to the store by the owner in exchange for a commission.
Can you sell old clothes to thrift stores?
Most thrift stores only accept donations of gently used clothing and other items. Some may also provide you with a tax deduction receipt for your donation.
Consignment stores typically do not accept donations, but instead pay you for the items or offer a commission once the item is sold in the store.
Can anyone shop at thrift stores?
Yes! Thrift stores are open to the public and anyone can shop at them. You don’t need to be a member of any organization or club in order to take advantage of the great deals available at thrift shops. Thrift stores are different than free stores where items are available at no cost.
Why buy from thrift stores?
Thrift stores offer a great way to save money on items like clothing, furniture and books. And because most thrift stores are operated by charities or non-profits, the proceeds are used to support their cause.
Shopping at thrift stores is also an environmentally-friendly option as it reduces the amount of goods that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
Why are thrift stores important?
Thrift stores provide an important service to the community by offering gently used items at heavily discounted prices. They’re a fantastic way to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability.
Purchases from thrift stores also directly support the organization or charity that operates them, and many provide jobs to people who face barriers to employment.
Do You Run a Thrift Store in London?
If we’ve missed you on this list of London’s best thrift stores, please reach out to us! We want to provide our community with an accurate and complete list of all of the thrift stores in the city and would love to add you to our list.
Conclusion: London Ontario Thrift Stores
Thrift Stores provide an important service to the community by offering gently used items at discounted prices, helping to reduce waste and support local charities.
Whether you are looking for a bargain or want to do your part in supporting sustainability, London’s thrift stores provide an excellent option for shopping with purpose!
If you’re looking for more thrifting, we highly recommend taking your shopping to Toronto. There are literally tons of great secondhand and vintage thrift shops in Toronto that take thrifting to a whole new level!
Erie is the owner and author of Everywhere Ontario. She’s lived and traveled around Ontario for over 30 years, visiting small towns and big cities from the shores of Lake Erie to the crisp northern air of Hearst along the Trans-Canada Highway. She is passionate about maximizing fun and supporting local tourist businesses and is always looking to provide the best recommendations to her fellow Ontario travelers. Read more about Erie here.