Arc Thrift Stores

What Arc Thrift Stores does

Arc Thrift Stores is a nonprofit-aligned thrift retail chain founded in 1968 and headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. The company operates 22-28 physical thrift stores and 9 donation stations across Colorado and New Mexico, selling donated merchandise, including clothing, furniture, home décor, electronics, toys, books, and seasonal items, at discounted unit pricing with weekly rotating color-tag promotions, a Tuesday 55+ senior discount, and Saturday half-price markdowns. Revenue is generated primarily through retail sales of donated goods, supplemented by gift card sales issued via CashStar and Clutch.

Beyond its core retail operation, Arc Thrift Stores functions as a fundraising vehicle for The Arc's advocacy chapters serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Colorado and New Mexico. The company describes itself as one of the largest employers of individuals with developmental disabilities in Colorado and operates structured workforce programs under its Arc Academy umbrella, including Arc University, Arc Social Events, Arc Ambassador Civitans, and the IN! Inclusive Higher Education initiative with Arapahoe Community College.

Distribution and marketing are built around a multi-channel community engagement model. Customer acquisition relies on physical storefronts, donation drives, and community programs, while awareness and retention are supported by The Get Thrifty Podcast, a TikTok presence, an eClub email/text loyalty program, a content blog, furniture pickup logistics, and annual community initiatives such as the Feed Colorado food drive with Volunteer of America and City Harvest. Accepted payment methods include Apple Pay, Google Pay, major card networks, debit, and cash. No proprietary technology platform, AI capabilities, or external funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Arc Thrift Stores

Legal name

Arc Thrift Stores

Website

https://arcthrift.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Arc Thrift Stores is a nonprofit thrift retail chain founded in 1968 operating 22-28 stores across Colorado and New Mexico, selling donated clothing, furniture, and household goods while funding Arc advocacy chapters serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thrift Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft, DIY & Value Variety Stores (CRAEAGAC)

Keywords

• Thrift retail stores
• Donated goods resale
• Secondhand clothing furniture
• Donation pickup services
• Nonprofit thrift chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Donated Goods: Arc Thrift Stores generates revenue primarily through the retail sale of donated merchandise, including clothing, furniture, home décor, toys, books, and seasonal items such as Halloween costumes and holiday décor. Products are priced at deeply discounted rates relative to retail. Revenue is supplemented by the sale of gift certificates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arc Thrift Stores operates a network of 22-28 physical thrift retail stores across Colorado and New Mexico that sell donated merchandise, including clothing, furniture, home décor, toys, books, electronics, and seasonal items such as Halloween costumes and holiday décor, at deeply discounted unit prices. The company supplements retail with nine donation drop-off stations, free furniture pickup, and an online gift card program, while channeling profits into advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Arc Chapters.

Product overview

Arc Thrift Stores operates a network of 22+ retail thrift stores across Colorado and New Mexico, selling donated merchandise including clothing, furniture, home decor, electronics, and seasonal items. The company functions as both a retail business and a nonprofit fundraising vehicle supporting The Arc's chapters. Beyond retail, the product portfolio includes gift cards (sold via CashStar), a free eClub loyalty program, The Get Thrifty Podcast (distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts), arc Academy educational programs, donation stations, furniture pickup services, and seasonal Halloween shops. The company accepts diverse payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, debit cards, and cash.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Get Thrifty Podcast: A weekly podcast hosted by Maggie Scivicque, Vice President of Marketing at Arc Thrift Stores, featuring conversations with designers, resellers, social influencers, fashionistas, and authors about thrift tips, secrets, inspiration, and the thrill of thrifting.
• Arc Academy
• Arc University
• Feed Colorado
• IN! Inclusive Higher Education

Products and services

• Arc Thrift Stores Retail Physical thrift stores selling donated merchandise including clothing, furniture, home décor, electronics, books, toys, and seasonal items to individual budget-conscious consumers across Colorado and New Mexico.
• Arc Gift Cards Store-branded gift certificates available in $5 denominations for individual consumer gifting, redeemable at Arc Thrift Stores retail locations.
• Donation Stations Designated physical drop-off locations accepting gently used clothing, furniture, and household goods from community donors, operating daily 8am-6pm across Colorado.
• Free Furniture Pickup Free scheduled pickup service that collects large furniture donations from donors' homes for resale in Arc Thrift Stores.
• Halloween Shops Seasonal pop-up retail sections inside Arc stores stocking Halloween costumes, decorations, makeup, masks, and accessories for individual consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 170 tons of food collected in 2014 Feed Colorado food drive

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OrthoColorado HospitalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2014Title Sponsor of Arc Thrift Stores' 4th annual Golfing with a Purpose Charity Tournament Fundraiser held at Red Rocks Country Club, Morrison, Colorado.
• Prime Trailer LeasingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2014Platinum level sponsor of the Golfing with a Purpose Charity Tournament Fundraiser.
• Colorado Storage SystemsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2014Platinum level sponsor of the Golfing with a Purpose Charity Tournament Fundraiser.
• Volunteer of America Meals on WheelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2014Annual Feed Colorado food drive beneficiary. Arc Thrift Stores runs the Feed Colorado food drive each year to benefit Volunteer of America's Meals on Wheels program. Donations are collected from registered donors through Arc's call center and picked up by Arc drivers from April through May.
• City Harvest Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2014Annual Feed Colorado food drive beneficiary alongside Volunteer of America's Meals on Wheels. The 2014 drive raised over 170 tons of food for Colorado families experiencing food insecurity.
• Left Hand Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Sponsor of the Feed Colorado food drive, supporting Arc Thrift Stores' community outreach initiatives.
• Caution Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Sponsor of the Feed Colorado food drive, supporting Arc Thrift Stores' community outreach initiatives.
• Hogshead BreweryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Sponsor of the Feed Colorado food drive, supporting Arc Thrift Stores' community outreach initiatives.
• Denver Rescue MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arc Ambassador Civitan Club partners with the Denver Rescue Mission to support homeless individuals by making Care Bags containing essentials such as socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, band-aids, chapstick, and protein bars.
• Volunteers of America ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner for the annual Feed Colorado food drive. Arc Thrift Stores partners with Volunteers of America Colorado to help feed food-insecure families in the Colorado area.
• Family Sports CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding mutual partnership between Ability Specialists and Family Sports Center in Aurora, Colorado. The sports center hosts Arc's dinner and awards events at the Avalanche Grill and provides soccer facilities for the Fun Fit program. The facility includes ice skating, laser tag, climbing wall, bumper cars, arcade games, golf, and the practice facility for the Colorado Avalanche.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Largest nonprofit thrift operator in the U.S., selling donated clothing, furniture, and household goods at discount through retail stores and donation centers — directly comparable to Arc's thrift retail and donation-station model.
• Salvation Army Family Stores: National nonprofit thrift chain selling donated clothing, furniture, and household goods, with proceeds funding social programs — directly comparable to Arc in retail format, donation supply, and mission-aligned funding.
• Savers (Value Village): For-profit thrift operator (parent of Value Village) running large-format thrift stores selling donated secondhand apparel, housewares, and books — directly comparable in retail format and donated-goods supply model.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Nonprofit home-goods thrift chain accepting donated furniture, appliances, and building materials to fund affordable housing — comparable to Arc as a mission-driven thrift retailer funded by donated merchandise.
• Buffalo Exchange: Resale thrift chain buying and selling secondhand clothing and accessories in physical stores; comparable as a regional secondhand apparel retailer competing for the same thrifting customer.

Broad incumbents

• Winmark Corporation (Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child): Public franchisor of resale brands including Plato's Closet (young adult clothing) and Once Upon A Child (children's clothing) — comparable as a parent of multi-brand secondhand retail operators serving budget-conscious shoppers.

Emerging players

• ThredUp: Online recommerce platform for secondhand apparel — adjacent peer capturing national resale demand that Arc's brick-and-mortar-only model cannot serve directly.
• Poshmark: Online peer-to-peer marketplace for secondhand clothing and accessories — adjacent peer competing for the same secondhand consumer wallet via a digital-first model.

Regional players

• Crossroads Trading: Regional thrift-style buy-sell-trade retailer for secondhand apparel, primarily in the Western U.S. — comparable as a physical secondhand apparel chain serving a similar demographic.

Others

• Schoola: Online secondhand clothing reseller channeling proceeds to schools — adjacent peer within the recommerce and mission-driven resale ecosystem that overlaps with Arc's donor-side value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepodcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-get-thrifty-podcast/id1496431053
• TikToktiktok.com/@arcthriftstores
• Xx.com/ArcThriftStores

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Arc Thrift Stores