America's Thrift Stores

What America's Thrift Stores does

America's Thrift Stores is a for-profit thrift retail chain founded in 1984 operating 35+ physical stores across five southeastern US states — Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The company sells donated second-hand clothing, household goods, furniture, electronics, and vehicles at prices up to 70% below retail, with new inventory added to each location daily to maintain what management describes as a 'new store every day' experience. Inventory is supplied by community donations collected through a network of over 2,500 donation points comprising standalone outdoor bins, staffed donation centers, scheduled home pickups, and in-store drop-offs.

The retail operation is supplemented by several adjacent services: a free scheduled home donation pickup service (powered by Vonigo), staffed drive-up donation centers, a vehicle donation program, and a loyalty rewards program called America's Thrift Rewards (powered by DataCandy) that allows members to earn one point per dollar spent and redeem a $5 discount at 250 points. Operational technology consists of standard enterprise SaaS integrations — Dayforce for human capital management, Vonigo for home pickup scheduling, DataCandy for loyalty, and Kinetic as the website developer — plus Google reCAPTCHA and major ad-network integrations. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, developer-facing APIs, or patents are disclosed.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through unit-priced retail sales of donated goods. A share of proceeds is redistributed to seven regional charity partners — three Make-A-Wish chapters (Alabama, Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee), Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and three addiction recovery organizations (Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge, Adult & Teen Challenge Mid-South, and Home of Grace) — on a per-pound basis of $0.035 to $0.05 per pound with multi-year contractual minimum guarantees. The company has a stated goal to contribute $100 million to charity partners over a 10-year period (approximately $10 million annually) and reports diverting 45+ million pounds of goods from landfills annually. Customer segments include value-conscious general shoppers, seniors (10% Monday discount), military and first responders (10% Wednesday discount), and educators and students (10% Thursday discount). Headcount stands at over 1,500 employees, and the legal entity is ATS Operating, LLC, headquartered at 4505 Riverview Pkwy in Birmingham, Alabama. Chris Homewood serves as CEO.

Name

America's Thrift Stores

Legal name

ATS Operating, LLC

Website

https://americasthrift.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

America's Thrift Stores operates a for-profit thrift retail chain of 35+ stores across five southeastern US states, reselling donated clothing, household goods, furniture, and vehicles at up to 70% off retail via a network of 2,500+ donation collection points.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thrift Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)

Keywords

• Thrift retail stores
• Donated goods resale
• Second-hand clothing
• Charity retail chain
• Affordable used merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Phenix City

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 of Donated Goods: America's Thrift Stores generates revenue by reselling donated clothing, household items, furniture, vehicles, and other goods. Items are donated by the community and sold at discounted prices, typically up to 70% off retail. The company pays its charity partners a percentage based on pounds of donations collected.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

America's Thrift Stores operates a chain of retail thrift stores that sell donated gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, furniture, electronics, and vehicles at prices up to 70% off retail. The company sources inventory through community donations collected via standalone donation bins, staffed donation centers, free home pickups, and in-store drop-offs. A share of proceeds is paid to local charity partners on a per-pound basis.

Product overview

America's Thrift Stores is a for-profit thrift retail chain founded in 1984, operating 34+ retail stores across 35 southeastern markets in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The company sells donated gently used goods (clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, furniture, electronics, vehicles) at prices up to 70% below retail. Its product portfolio centers on a retail store network supplemented by multiple donation collection services — a free home pickup service (scheduled via Vonigo), staffed drive-up donation centers, and a network of outdoor donation bins. A loyalty rewards program (America's Thrift Rewards, powered by DataCandy) drives customer retention. The company generates inventory through community donations and passes a share of proceeds to charity partners, with a stated goal of donating $100 million over 10 years. Over 1,500 employees operate the stores, donation infrastructure, and pickup logistics. The company keeps more than 45 million pounds of goods out of landfills annually and pays its charity partners a per-pound rate for donations collected.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Thrift Stores Physical retail locations across 35 southeastern U.S. markets selling donated clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, furniture, vehicles, and other gently used goods at discounted prices. Inventory is refreshed daily and organized by size with over 150 category labels.
• America's Thrift Rewards Free loyalty program allowing shoppers to earn 1 point per $1 spent. Members accrue 250 points for a $5 off reward, receive a 50-point birthday bonus, and gain access to exclusive member-only promotions.
• Free Home Pickup Free home donation pickup service for residents near store locations with more than two bags of donations. Scheduled online via Vonigo, with drivers calling or texting upon arrival. Available in select areas of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Staffed Donation Centers Drive-up donation-only locations staffed for quick drop-offs. Unlike retail stores, these centers exist solely for donation collection. Multiple locations were opened in 2024 with additional expansion planned for 2025.
• Donation Bins Standalone outdoor donation bins placed throughout communities for drop-off of gently used clothing and shoes. Part of a network of over 2,000 donation bins, staffed centers, and retail locations.
• Vehicle Donation Accepts donated cars, trucks, and RVs that are in good running condition. Donors drive items to store locations with title and proof of ownership; no home pickup is provided for vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45+ million pounds of goods diverted from landfills annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Make-A-Wish AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-A-Wish Alabama is paid $0.035/lb by America's Thrift Stores for donations collected (excluding furniture) with a minimum annual guarantee of $650,000 and no annual cap through December 31, 2024. Grants wishes in all 67 Alabama counties.
• Children's Healthcare of AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta is a not-for-profit dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow. Managing more than 920,000 patient visits annually at three hospitals and 27 neighborhood locations.
• Louisiana Adult & Teen ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides youth, adults and families with a Christian faith-based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems through biblical principles.
• Adult & Teen Challenge Mid-SouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides an effective and comprehensive faith-based solution to drug and alcohol addiction operating in and around Chattanooga, TN.
• Home of GracecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA nationally known addiction recovery program founded in 1965 that has helped tens of thousands battle addictions including drugs, alcohol, gambling and pornography.
• Make-A-Wish Middle TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-A-Wish Middle Tennessee is paid $0.05/lb for donations collected with a minimum annual guarantee of $50,000 and no annual cap through September 2026. Grants wishes in 38 counties, having granted more than 130 wishes in the last fiscal year.
• Make-A-Wish East TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-A-Wish East Tennessee is paid $0.05/lb for donations collected with a minimum annual guarantee of $50,000 and no annual cap through September 2026. There are currently 87 children waiting on a wish in East Tennessee.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Poshmark: Online peer-to-peer marketplace for secondhand fashion. Competes for secondhand shopper attention and the resale funnel, particularly among younger consumers who might otherwise shop thrift stores.
• ThredUp: Online resale platform processing millions of secondhand clothing items. Represents the digital-native evolution of the secondhand retail model and increasingly competes for the same secondhand clothing donation and resale demand.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: The largest nonprofit thrift retailer in the US, operating thousands of retail stores and donation centers. Direct competitor for donations, retail customers, and charity-aligned positioning, but operates as a 501(c)(3) rather than for-profit.
• Big Lots: Off-price closeout retailer selling deeply discounted home goods, furniture, and consumables. Comparable value-conscious shopper demographic and discount pricing model, though sourcing is from closeouts rather than donations.
• The Salvation Army Family Stores: Operates a nationwide network of thrift stores funded by donated goods. Directly competes for both donation supply and value-conscious shoppers in many of the same southeastern markets.

Direct peers

• Buffalo Exchange: For-profit buy-sell-trade vintage and contemporary clothing retailer with stores across the US. Comparable model of purchasing secondhand clothing and reselling through physical retail locations, though focused more narrowly on apparel.
• Savers Value Village: The largest for-profit thrift retailer in North America, operating Value Village, Savers, and Unique thrift stores. Directly comparable business model: purchasing donated goods, reselling at discounted prices, and operating large-scale physical store fleets across North America.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Nonprofit home-goods resale chain selling donated furniture, appliances, and building materials. Overlaps with the furniture and household goods categories of America's Thrift Stores.
• Plato's Closet: Franchised teen and young adult resale retailer that buys and resells gently used clothing. Comparable secondhand retail model and value-conscious demographic, though narrower apparel focus.
• Once Upon A Child: Franchised children's and maternity clothing resale retailer. Adjacent resale model with the same value-conscious parent shopper and donation-supply-adjacent inventory sourcing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/americasthrift
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americasthrift

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 America's Thrift Stores