Categories > Other Services
For the Stylish Saver: Top 5 Thrift Shops in Singapore
1. The Fashion Pulpit
Products: Second-hand clothes, bags, and shoes
Website: https://www.thefashionpulpit.com/
Address: 6A Shenton Way, OUE Downtown Gallery, #02-08, Singapore 068815
Contact Details: +65 8399-5343 | holler@thefashionpulpit.com
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Google Reviews | 4.9/5 |
5/5 | |
Total reviews | 5/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Range of products | 4.5/5 |
Product quality | 4.5/5 |
Years in the business | 5/5 |
Customer service | 4.93/5 |
– Responsiveness | 4.8/5 |
– Friendliness | 5/5 |
– Attentiveness | 5/5 |
Pros
- Sells mostly thoroughly checked, quality clothes
- Efficient swapping system
- Responsive
Cons
- Might be too busy at times
- Not all styles are acceptable for swapping
The Fashion Pulpit is home to affordable pre-loved clothing, but they added a twist to it by allowing people to swap clothes in exchange for their products.
Naturally, one of our members signed up for the one-time swapping membership to try out the system.
Based on her report, the membership sign-up was smooth and easy, earning the company brownie points for customer service. Furthermore, the store’s staff was friendly and accommodating.
Swapping was also a win-win situation, as the second-hand clothes available for trading were high quality.
When swapping your clothes here, the probable downside is that not all styles are to your preference. It doesn’t help that the shop was vague about what styles they cater to.
That said, looking through the shop’s selection first will give you a rough idea of what clothes to bring.
The shop might also be busy at times, so the staff might not be as attentive as when a member of our team visited.
2. MINDS Shop
Products: Craftworks, books, food, and more
Website: http://eshop.minds.org.sg/
Address: 800 Margaret Dr, Singapore 149310
Contact Details: +65 6473-1148
Operating Hours: Monday to Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Google Reviews | 4.3/5 |
Total reviews | 4/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Range of products | 4/5 |
Product quality | 4.3/5 |
Years in the business | 5/5 |
Customer service | 4.4/5 |
– Responsiveness | 4.2/5 |
– Friendliness | 4.5/5 |
– Attentiveness | 4.5/5 |
Pros
- Proceeds spent for children with disabilities
- Affordable
- Delicious seasonal food items
Cons
- Might be difficult to reach via phone and online
- Some items have limited availability
If you love handmade crafts and want to support children with disabilities, the MINDS Shop is a thrift store that can help you do that.
The small shop sells trinkets, seasonal homemade food items, and creations of children cared for by the organization.
We bought cute, handmade keychains and gift items at affordable prices. The packed cookies were also a winner as far as our taste buds were concerned!
It’s great buying from the store knowing that our money goes to charitable proceeds. Furthermore, the staff was friendly and helpful.
Their recommendations and little backstories about the handmade items made the shopping extra fun and meaningful, too!
That said, buying from such a thrift store means the goods are limited to what the organization can produce. Clothes and shoes, for instance, are almost non-existent.
Some handmade goods also have limited availability, so you have to constantly check on their website or shop if you’re a fan of the items sold.
3. A Vintage Tale
Products: Vintage clothing and accessories
Website: http://www.artofcleaning.com.sg/
Address: 277 Joo Chiat Rd, #01-01, Singapore 427531
Contact Details: +65 9187-0410
Operating Hours: Monday to Thursday: 11:30 AM – 6:30 PM, Friday to Saturday: 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM, Sunday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Google Reviews | 4.7/5 |
5/5 | |
Total reviews | 4/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Range of products | 4.7/5 |
Product quality | 4.8/5 |
Years in the business | 5/5 |
Customer service | 4.8/5 |
– Responsiveness | 4,8/5 |
– Friendliness | 4.8/5 |
– Attentiveness | 4.8/5 |
Pros
- High-quality garments
- Lovely shop interiors
- Regular discounted sales
Cons
- Slightly pricier
- Limited to vintage goods
We love discovering gems amidst a throng of thrift shop choices, and it’s refreshing that A Vintage Tale showed us plenty of worthy finds.
The quaint shop takes “throwback” to the next level by displaying tasteful, stylish clothing.
We also found it impressive that despite the affordable prices, many pieces come in quality fabric. It’s also not a stretch to say that the clothes were like works of art with their colors and designs.
Furthermore, we appreciate the staff, as they provided some tips about what clothes could work for us.
They recommended items that even surprised some of our team members. My companions didn’t expect to look good in the suggested pieces, but they did and they ended up buying them!
What’s even better was that we visited the shop when it was selling discounted quality items. We bagged a few items for only $20 thanks to that promo!
That said, we think A Vintage Tale has a slightly steeper price range than other thrift shops.
We understand, though, as their selection was worth the few extra dollars you need.
Also, the vintage theme may well be a limitation for customers who wanted to score more contemporary fashion pieces at bargain prices.
4. Thryft
Products: Second-hand clothes and books
Website: https://thryft.asia/
Address: Bukit Timah Rd, 617A, Singapore 269718
Contact Details: support@thryft.sg
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Google Reviews | 4.9/5 |
4.8/5 | |
Total reviews | 5/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Range of products | 4.5/5 |
Product quality | 4.6/5 |
Years in the business | 5/5 |
Customer service | 5/5 |
– Responsiveness | 5/5 |
– Friendliness | 5/5 |
– Attentiveness | 5/5 |
Pros
- Well-curated second-hand items
- Efficient customer service
- Great price range
Cons
- Limited selection of second-hand clothes
- In-person events sell only books
Thryft Shop piqued our interest, as it offers second-hand books and a good selection of pre-loved clothing.
As such, we see it as a haven for book and fashion lovers who are on a budget.
We love that its online store showed the company’s thoughtfulness. The book titles were curated with care, plus they were labeled properly for easier hunting of gems.
We also love the pre-loved shirts for their stylishness and slashed prices.
That said, it’s worth knowing that the thrift store is more focused on selling books than clothes. It’s not the shop to rely on if you’re looking for a wide selection.
Fortunately, the pre-loved pieces were carefully curated; what the store lacked in quantity, it made up for with quality and taste.
Meanwhile, Thryft’s physical store in Bukit Timah was a bit small if we’re talking about space, but it felt larger than life thanks to the books we found (we scored old titles and staff recommendations)!
The shop also arranged its books neatly, so we had an easy time spotting gems. It was different from other second-hand bookstores that simply pile their titles and leave you to dig (quite literally) for a book.
5. SSVP Shop
Products: Second-hand clothing, household items, accessories
Website: https://ssvpsingapore.org/ssvp-shop/
Address: 501 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389459
Contact Details: +65 6974-2480 | shop@ssvpsingapore.org
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Google Reviews | 4.7/5 |
4.6/5 | |
Total reviews | 4/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Range of products | 5/5 |
Product quality | 4.4/5 |
Years in the business | 5/5 |
Customer service | 4.5/5 |
– Responsiveness | 4.5/5 |
– Friendliness | 4.5/5 |
– Attentiveness | 4.5/5 |
Pros
- Diverse second-hand items
- Affordable
- Shop is easy to reach
Cons
- Finding an item you like can be challenging
- Some items come short of high-quality standard
We love SSVP Shop, as its selection of affordable second-hand items covers a wide range of styles.
We enjoyed scouring the aisles for pieces that suited our taste. Thanks to the diversity, we managed to find one or two clothes to our liking.
We think this setup also made the shop a practical choice for people with eclectic fashion styles or those who like good mix-and-match pieces.
Apart from clothes, we also scored delightful finds such as a tableware set, a plushie, and a bag!
That said, we found the search a bit daunting due to the wide range of options.
Also, the arrangement of some items needed some improvement, so it would be easier to navigate through the racks.
A section of the tableware area was particularly challenging, as it looked more like a slightly organized home cupboard than a shop shelf.
Know also that SSVP is a bit small, so expect to see it a bit cramped during peak hours. Luckily, we didn’t have to squeeze ourselves among the racks as we visited when the store was less busy.