• USA Today, Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:45 AM

Second-hand shops are thriving across the country as unemployed workers -- and those worried they will be -- look for less-expensive clothes, furniture and household items, Andrea Stone reports. But many thrift shops are also running low on merchandise as fewer people are able to donate. "The two-bag donor is now bringing in one bag," says Goodwill Industries spokeswoman Lauren Lawson.

February revenue at Goodwill was up 7.2% over last year. The Salvation Army doesn't have national figures, but its Western district, which includes six states, saw same-store sales for the six months starting Oct. 1 rise 8%, says Dawn Marks, the group's regional marketing consultant. "Wal-Mart is pretty cheap, and they're bypassing Wal-Mart and coming here," says Eddie McKee, manager of the Fresh Start Community Thrift Store in Orlando, Fla.

Indeed, some thrift stores are sprucing up to compete with mainstream retailers. The Salvation Army is opening larger, better-lit stores with wider aisles and several levels, like department stores. "We want to make the shopping experience more comparable to what people expect," Marks says.

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