-
October 2024 by Elizabeth Han
I'm surprised I haven't written a review for Wildlife. It's my favourite downtown Vancouver thrift store. In my opinion it's just the right size, organized properly, and thankfully has fitting rooms. The clothing and shoe selection is good. I'm not surprised to see some more desirable brands marked up, but you can still definitely make out with a great deal. I really love the one entire wall that is a mirror, quite convenient. The entire vibe of this store feels a little rustic and folksy-warehouse, and I am here for it. The neighborhood on Granville before it can be a little rough, but it won't stop me from shopping here.
-
October 2024 by Claire Lin
One of the original thrift stores that got me into 2nd hand clothing after Covid. I loved shopping here after class with friends. They have really great pieces. #ContestEntry
-
October 2024 by Thalya Anzheta
One of the best thrift stores out there. But I would say the selection varies depending when you come. There are some days when they barely has anything in store, and the racks are very thin. Overall, easy to go through some of the racks!
-
October 2024 by Chloe Pintaric
reasonable prices, clean and very well organized
-
October 2024 by Shriya Gupta
(Edited below in response) Please rethink donating your goods here. I thought I was donating old clothes here and felt good about it until I found out that they are not a charity and are, infact, a for-profit business whose operation is to sell donated goods to line their revenue. They claim to be stewards of upcycling but turn away those looking to sell gently used fashion as they are thriving from the donations from others like myself who might assume they are a non-profit.
If they are a business like any other, then we are better off donating our goods directly to the charities and non-profits that they claim to support after wages, benefits, profit etc is paid first. I will be taking my next bag to The Gathering Place nearby.
EDIT in reply to the store's response -
While I appreciate your response, none of your points address the main issue. Just because you donate some proceeds to charities doesn’t change the fact that you’re a for-profit business. This means you still take revenue home after paying wages and operating costs. Simply because Value Village operates similarly doesn’t make either of you correct or genuinely beneficial to the community. And if your measure is to only be better than Value Village, then I invite the Vancouver community to take note of that.
Consignment stores can be a fair option for those looking to sell their used items, but so are other thrift stores that are willing to pay for the goods they then sell for profit. It feels disingenuous to profit off the community's goodwill alone while marketing yourself as a charitable entity when you are not one. You just donate proceeds to them, similar to several other corporate entities like Loblaws...
The number of employees you have or the fact that you pay them a “living wage and benefits” to support your for-profit mission doesn’t change the reality. Because so does McDonald's. In fact, non-profits and charities also hire staff and provide benefits, but they reinvest all revenue back into their mission rather than taking profits home. Additionally, they are transparent about wage structures and revenue as well, not just the donations that they make.
Your statement about Gathering Place and Covenant House directing donations through you raises serious concerns. I couldn’t find any information on their websites that supports this claim; they both seem to encourage direct donations instead. If you have a formal agreement with them, I’d appreciate any documentation or details to back this up. Without that, it feels misleading to position yourself as their intermediary.
As for licensing, I’m curious about what kind of special license is required to solicit donations for a for-profit business. Can't just about any individual or entity ask for help from folks from the community? It also seems strange that a unique license is necessary for you to acquire goods that you intend to sell for profit, especially if the city hasn’t been able to help you address this issue in the years you’ve been operating.
Ultimately, I was surprised to learn that a store claiming to act like a charity isn’t one at all. I prefer to donate my goods to organizations that genuinely support the community without the for-profit layer, or even thrift stores who still have a real business model based off of acquiring their wares at cost, vs only soliciting my goodwill in the name of "donation". If my understanding is correct, then I am disappointed that another store opened up in Toronto to continue the same machine that profits off of people's goodwill while preventing community donations from directly reaching those who need them most.
-
September 2024 by Moira Casey
Wildlife Thrift Store is the best. They accept so many items, are happy to receive donations and have even helped me unload my car. And they help important charities. Love these folks.
-
September 2024 by lawendelala
Best thrift store in Vancouver! Take your time and you will make great finds.
Absolutely reasonable priced.
-
September 2024 by Ryan Chwiendacz
$40 for used jeans. $30 for used dress shirts. Owner has gotten greedy. I wont shop here again.
-
August 2024 by JB
A complete trash collection of clothes. Never coming back.
-
August 2024 by Sarah-Marie R. Boerner Albertson
Really disappointing selection and very low quality of items. We saw several broken items as we shopped. Was pretty surprised by the lack of decent merchandise considering how large the space is.
-
August 2024 by Kyle Warkentin
Pretty decent prices cool selection thx
-
July 2024 by Valiant Pearce
I went to the store very welcoming environments affordable prices I got three pairs of shorts I'll definitely be coming back and recommended to my friends
-
July 2024 by Charmaine Wu
Great prices, easy to browse as things are organized and clearly price marked! Friendly staff also :)
-
June 2024 by Valkyrie Morningstar
I love this place, I come here like almost every day and find a trove of gems...
Shoes, clothing, and things, oh my...
The staff here are friendly amd knowledgeable and always treat me with respect and dignity, not to mention that they support an array of non-profit charities! Keep up the amazing work and support you do, and know that everything you guys do is so very much appreciated in the community?
-
June 2024 by Van Liu
I bought a belt there for $6.99. I didn’t check it carefully then I saw its fake leather was ripped already when I got home. Then I had to donate it to another thrift store. The funny thing was they even didn’t want take it as a donation lol. Literally, I bought a trash there.
