What Thrift for Good does

Thrift for Good is a Dubai-based charitable social enterprise founded in 2020 by Jennifer Sault that operates four physical thrift stores across the city — Palm Jumeirah (Golden Mile Galleria), Time Square Center, Al Quoz Sustainability Hub, and The Market Mall (DIP) — alongside an e-commerce storefront branded 'Wear The Change'. The core business is the collection and resale of donated preloved clothing, accessories, books, and authenticated luxury items, with downstream channels covering consignment (The Luxury Closet at 40-60% of retail), in-house upcycling (Signature Origami Bag, Pages & Patterns kits, Upcycled Frames), imperfect-item resale at AED 5/piece via flea markets, and residual fiber recycling through Kiswa at AED 2/kg. The technology stack is deliberately light: a Wix-based website supports e-commerce and workshop booking, with no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI/ML systems evidenced. Operational volumes include 208,000+ items rehomed, 123,567+ items recycled, and 15,400+ items repaired since founding, executed by a skeleton paid team of 1-10 staff supplemented by a large volunteer workforce across all four locations plus a youth program (ages 15-17).

The business model is a hybrid of retail and philanthropy: 100% of profits are donated to Gulf for Good's children's charity projects, with the relationship structured through IACAD-licensed fundraising approvals (license numbers including PRHCE-005676179 and PRHCE-005338816) covering initiatives in Tanzania, Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi, Philippines, India, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Lebanon, and Gaza. Revenue streams include retail sales (preloved clothing and luxury items), upcycled merchandise, paid workshops (Mending 101 at AED 50, Styling Sundays at AED 50, Pages & Patterns at AED 150), gift cards, and a corporate partnerships program covering financial sponsorship, in-kind sponsorship, team-bonding volunteer days, group clothing drives, and lunch-and-learn sessions with clients including SHYFT, Al Futtaim, Amazon, PWC, EmiratesNBD, Sanofi, and 35+ other corporates. Pricing is unit-based at AED 30-150 ticket sizes with luxury items priced at approximately one-seventh of original retail; donors receive AED 10 store credit per drop-off of items worth AED 10 or more, creating a closed-loop donation incentive.

Customer segments split between individual consumers seeking affordable sustainable fashion (primary) and corporate organizations pursuing ESG engagement and team-building (secondary), with the international charity segment (children's projects across 14+ countries) functioning as the impact destination rather than a paying customer. Since 2020 the enterprise has contributed over AED 4.7 million to children's charity projects, won the Visa/First Abu Dhabi Bank She's Next $50,000 grant in September 2023 (selected from 880+ applicants), and been named an industry advocate in the UAE's Naseej National Initiative for Textile Circularity alongside government bodies and other circular-fashion businesses. The enterprise is structured as Thrift for Good Used Cloth Trading LLC, governed by a voluntary board with specialized directors across Retail, Fundraising & Partnerships, People & Community Engagement, Sustainability, Treasury, and Secretary functions.

Name

Thrift for Good

Legal name

Thrift for Good Used Cloth Trading LLC

Website

https://thriftforgood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thrift for Good is a Dubai-based charitable social enterprise operating four thrift stores and an e-commerce platform that resells donated preloved clothing and accessories, donating 100% of profits to Gulf for Good's international children's charity projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Thrift Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination (HSAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK), Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI), Donation, Reuse & Sustainability Returns Programs (TLAIAHAJ)

Keywords

• Charity thrift retail
• Preloved clothing resale
• Circular fashion retail
• Upcycled textile products
• Sustainable secondhand fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Sale of donated preloved clothing and items through four physical stores and e-commerce platform
2. Upcycled Products: Sale of upcycled products including Signature Origami Bag (AED 150), upcycled frames (AED 50), and Pages and Patterns DIY kits (AED 150)
3. Workshops and Classes: Revenue from workshops including Mending 101 (AED 50), Styling Sundays (AED 50), and Pages & Patterns Workshop (AED 150)
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards for use in physical stores or online store
5. Corporate Partnerships: Financial sponsorship, in-kind sponsorship, volunteer team bonding days, group clothing drives, and lunch & learn sessions with corporate clients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thrift for Good is a charitable social enterprise that accepts donated preloved clothing, accessories, and books and resells them through four physical thrift stores in Dubai plus an e-commerce store (Wear The Change). It also produces a small line of upcycled products (handcrafted bags, frames, DIY kits), runs paid sustainability workshops, and operates corporate partnership and volunteer programs. The company donates 100% of its profits to Gulf for Good's children's charity projects globally.

Product overview

Thrift for Good is a charitable preloved clothing retail social enterprise operating four physical stores in Dubai and an online store (Wear The Change). The business model centers on accepting donated preloved fashion, books, and accessories for resale, with 100% of profits directed to Gulf for Good's children's charity projects worldwide. The product portfolio includes: (1) core retail operations—physical thrift stores and e-commerce selling preloved fashion, accessories, and authenticated luxury items; (2) upcycled merchandise—handcrafted bags, frames, and DIY kits made from reclaimed materials; (3) workshops and educational programs including Mending 101, Pages & Patterns, Styling Sundays, and Mend For Good events; (4) volunteer and corporate partnership programs; and (5) the Gift of Thrift gift card service. All offerings tie to the dual mission of textile waste reduction and children's charity funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gift of Thrift: Gift card program allowing purchases of gift cards for shopping at Thrift for Good stores.

Products and services

• Retail Stores Four physical charity thrift stores in Dubai (Palm Jumeirah, Time Square Center, Al Quoz Sustainability Hub, The Market Mall DIP) selling preloved clothing, accessories, books, and luxury items. Standard hours 10AM-10PM; Sustainability Hub 10AM-8PM.
• Wear The Change Online Store E-commerce platform selling preloved fashion and upcycled products under the 'Wear The Change by Thrift for Good' brand. Categories include Women, Men, Upcycled, and Miscellaneous. Every purchase supports children's charity projects.
• Preloved Luxury Items Authenticated preloved luxury designer items including Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Saint Laurent, Tod's, Tory Burch, and Ermanno Scervino. Items over AED 150 are considered luxury; authenticated in-house with cash refund guarantee for inauthentic items within 30 days.
• Signature Origami Bag Handcrafted upcycled bag made from reclaimed denim jeans and men's shirts, priced at AED 150. Each piece is unique with variations in shade and texture.
• Thrift for Good Tote Bag Reusable tote bag made from end-of-life fabrics, priced at AED 30. Sustainable alternative to single-use bags, available in limited batches.
• Thrift for Good Water Bottle Reusable water bottle promoting sustainable hydration, priced at AED 30. Limited launch item.
• Pages and Patterns DIY Kit Creative at-home art kit containing upcycled materials (fabric scraps, book pages, embellishments) with step-by-step video instructions, priced at AED 150.
• Upcycled Wooden Frame Handcrafted frame made from repurposed desert wood or salvaged building materials, sized 40x28cm, designed without perspex for 3D artwork display, priced at AED 50.
• Gift Cards (Gift of Thrift) Digital gift cards available for purchase online or in-store; redeemable for shopping in physical stores or the online Wear The Change store. Branded under the Gift of Thrift program.
• Mending 101 Workshop One-hour paid workshop (AED 50) introducing participants to basic clothing repair, sewing tools, and mending skills to encourage sustainable fashion practices.
• Styling Sundays Workshop Monthly paid styling workshop (AED 50, refundable as store credit upon attendance) led by styling expert Gloria, providing sustainable fashion styling tips to participants.
• Pages & Patterns Workshop Hands-on paid creative workshop (AED 150, 18+) where participants transform preloved materials (fabrics, jewellery, paper) into textile collage art pieces.
• Mend For Good Community mending event bringing together volunteers to fix items deserving a second life, building connections and teaching repair skills; runs alongside Thrift for Good's sustainability workshops.
• Corporate Partnership Program Corporate engagement offering including team bonding volunteer days (up to 15 staff), group clothing drives with impact certificates, lunch & learn sustainability sessions, and financial and in-kind sponsorship; led by Community Engagement Manager Jade Povey.
• Preloved Fashion Donation Service Donation drop-off service accepting gently used clothing, accessories, bags, shoes, and books in exchange for AED 10 store credit per drop-off. Items are sorted for resale, repair, recycling, or upcycling.

Quantifiable outcome

• AED 4,701,588+ contributed to children's charities globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gulf for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain UAE-based charitable partner since 2020. Thrift for Good donates 100% of profits to Gulf for Good's children's charity projects globally. IACAD licensed. Thrift for Good contributes 15% of funds raised to support Gulf for Good's running costs. Partnership approved by IACAD under Islamic Affairs Fundraising Approval.
• Champion CleanersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors 18kg of washing each week for donated items. Helps reduce operational costs for clothing preparation.
• Stitch In Time and ThreadworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKindly sponsor clothing repairs for items that volunteers cannot fix in-house. Supports circular fashion mission.
• KiswaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPurchases unsellable items at AED 2/kg for recycling into furniture or carpet in Pakistan. Part of textile recycling downstream.
• The Luxury ClosetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsignment partner for luxury items that cannot be authenticated in-house. Authenticates and sells on their platform, paying approximately 40-60% of retail price.
• Max&Max in Times Square CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors new battery watches for donated timepieces. Supports luxury inventory operations.
• ShyftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier service recommended for sending items to Thrift for Good. Temporarily paused collection by volunteers, now recommends Shyft for item delivery.
• Corporate Partners (SHYFT, Al Futtaim Group, Turner&Townsend, Mimecast, Clarion School, Cummins, SO, Amazon, Western Union, Xylem, Rotaract, Sanofi, PWC, Washmen, EmiratesNBD, and 40+ others)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious corporate partners for financial sponsorship, in-kind sponsorship, team bonding volunteer days, group clothing drives, and lunch & learn sessions. Full list includes SHYFT, Al Futtaim Group, Turner&Townsend, Mimecast, Clarion School, Cummins, SO, Amazon, Western Union, Xylem, Rotaract, Sanofi, Sported, Delta Partners, PWC, Washmen, Century Financial, Shoeq, Millenium Plaza Downtown, COEGA, Moody's, Because You Care, Nielsen, Gems, Holiday Inn, MoneyGram, Electrolux, Edenred, Bedashing, The Shoe Doctor DXB, Tish Tash, Krush Brands, Bizz Craft, Enjo, Sandbox, and others.
• Naseej Initiative PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed as industry advocate in UAE's National Initiative for Textile Circularity alongside Universal Clothing, Fashion Rerun, Efaar, GoShopia.com, and Fashion Revolution UAE. Initiative brings together National Projects Office, Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Emirates Foundation, and Tadweer Group.
• Gulf NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Gulf News media coverage
• Forbes Middle EastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Forbes media coverage

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The RealReal: US-listed authenticated luxury consignment marketplace operating at scale. Comparable in authenticated designer resale and circular-fashion positioning, though with a much larger national footprint.
• Vestiaire Collective: Global peer-to-peer authenticated luxury resale platform. Comparable on authenticated preloved designer resale, with greater geographic reach and a global buyer base.

Emerging players

• The Reloved Marketplace: UAE-based circular fashion marketplace and listed Thrift for Good partner. Comparable in preloved-fashion retail and circular-fashion advocacy in the same Dubai market.
• Universal Clothing (UAE): UAE circular-fashion advocate listed with Thrift for Good in the Naseej textile-circularity initiative. Comparable regional circular-fashion positioning.
• Fashion Rerun: UAE-based circular fashion business co-named alongside Thrift for Good in the Naseej National Initiative for Textile Circularity. Comparable emerging UAE circular-fashion operator.

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Global non-profit thrift retail chain that resells donated clothing and goods to fund job training and community programs. Highly comparable charity-thrift-store model and use of donated inventory to generate social impact.
• The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: Operates charity thrift stores globally where proceeds fund social programs. Direct peer given the donation-in, resale-out model with social-impact funding.
• The Luxury Closet: UAE-headquartered authenticated luxury resale platform and an existing consignment partner for Thrift for Good. Direct comparator on luxury preloved resale in the same Dubai market.
• Oxfam (Charity Shops): Runs one of the largest charity-shop networks in the UK, reselling donated clothing and books to fund poverty-alleviation programs. Closely analogous in mission, retail format and donation-driven supply.

Regional players

• Red Cross Thrift Shops (Emirates Red Crescent): UAE charitable organization that has partnered with Thrift for Good on the Gaza Tarahum Campaign. Comparable charity-driven model operating regional humanitarian and donation programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThriftforGood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thrift-for-good
• Instagraminstagram.com/thriftforgood
• TikToktiktok.com/@thriftforgood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thrift for Good