Thrift stores do more than sell secondhand goods. They represent hope for communities that need it most.
But serving those communities means keeping up with operational demands. Slow checkout lines can drive customers away, and outdated systems make it hard to track and improve performance. Without the right tools, even mission-driven stores can struggle to keep their doors open.
For Robert Moore, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul in Redmond, Oregon, the writing was on the wall: Their outdated cash register was holding the store back.
In this blog, you’ll learn who St. Vincent de Paul is and how partnering with ThriftCart helped them modernize and grow to serve more customers.
Founded in France in 1833, St. Vincent de Paul serves people in need regardless of belief or background. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services to include a food pantry, financial assistance, a giving closet, the Laundry Project, and a propane voucher program.
The organization established itself in Redmond, Oregon, in 1979 and opened a 10,000-square-foot retail thrift store 30 years later. With the goal of serving more customers, they soon faced common challenges running a retail store.
The problems were clear:
“We were not using a point of sale,” Robert explains. “We were just using an antiquated cash register that made it very difficult for our cashiers to do discounts, to calculate certain sales.”
Robert didn’t go with the first point of sale (POS) system he found. He used a thoughtful and methodical approach. He researched extensively, talked to other thrift store owners, read testimonials, and watched product demo videos.
One platform kept coming up: ThriftCart.
“Reading testimonials online and watching some videos really kind of locked down ThriftCart for us,” Robert says.
Much to St. Vincent de Paul’s relief, onboarding was simple, and staff could train on their own schedule without slowing down the store. Getting started was a breeze, but three main features ultimately won Robert over.
Before ThriftCart, Robert operated without data.
He couldn’t see which items were selling or the store’s peak traffic hours. Their pricing hadn’t changed in years because the old system made adjustments nearly impossible.
“The reporting for me, from the business standpoint, really helps in making real-time decisions,” Robert explains.
ThriftCart’s reporting gives Robert visibility into every aspect of store performance:
These insights help thrift stores make smarter operational choices. If winter coats sit on the floor for months, it’s time to discount them heavily. If jewelry sells within days of hitting the floor, allocate more display space to it. Traffic data also helps with staffing — Saturday afternoons need extra cashiers, while slower Tuesday mornings require fewer staff to control labor costs.
St. Vincent de Paul operates at 10,000 square feet now, but if they decide to expand, their system is ready.
“The ability to grow into a bigger space, things like scheduled delivery for our pickups, the ability to edit or create promotions,” Robert says.
The platform handles growth in ways generic retail systems can’t:
Many thrift stores outgrow their first POS within a few years. They often start with something basic, only to realize it can’t keep up with expansion. That’s why scalability matters when you choose a new POS system. Even when you expand from one location to two, unique challenges and requirements arise.
As operations scale, donation pickup scheduling becomes more complex. ThriftCart simplifies this by scheduling appointments and tracking them in the system.
Thrift stores frequently run location-specific sales, too. One store might offer “50% off red tags on Thursdays,” while another runs different promotions. ThriftCart lets managers customize deals without needing support.
Thrift stores don’t operate like traditional retail. You manage unpredictable donations instead of vendor purchase orders. You price a $2 shirt next to a $200 designer bag. You run frequent color-tag promotions and move inventory before it takes up valuable floor space.
ThriftCart handles the unique challenges thrift stores face:
Generic POS systems assume you know the cost basis for every item. But donated items don’t have purchase costs. Most systems can’t easily run promotions like “buy one, get one (BOGO) free on blue tags this weekend.” ThriftCart was built specifically for thrift store workflows.
St. Vincent de Paul has transformed its operations with ThriftCart.
Checkout lines that once took 15 to 20 minutes now move in a fraction of that time. Staff can handle discounts and returns without calling managers for help, and Robert has the data he needs to make smart business decisions.
“Since implementing ThriftCart, we’ve noticed a big improvement in customer relations,” Robert says. “With the newer system, it’s much, much quicker. Customers have commented on it quite frequently.”
For thrift stores, operational improvements directly impact their mission. Faster checkout means more satisfied customers. More satisfied customers mean more sales. More sales mean more funding for community programs.
Robert’s advice to other thrift store owners is straightforward:
“I would definitely recommend ThriftCart to other thrift store owners. Just the ease of use and the fact that it was built specifically for thrift store use is evident in how it operates.”
If your store still relies on an outdated cash register, it might be time to upgrade. ThriftCart solves common thrift store challenges, including:
Schedule a demo to see how ThriftCart can help your thrift store grow.