What Garson & Shaw does

Garson & Shaw is a privately held wholesale supplier of secondhand clothing and related household items, founded around 1995 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company sources credential clothing (unsorted donations), mixed rags, tropical mix, sorted items, premium quality items, used shoes, and combined loads from collectors in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Central America, and sells these exclusively in full container or trailer loads to thrift stores, charities, and for-profit wholesale buyers across more than 15 countries spanning North America, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania. Operations are organized through three wholly-owned regional subsidiaries: G&S Central America Ltda. (Costa Rica), GS Europe s.r.o. (Slovakia), and G&S (Belize) Ltd., with a sales team of regional international sales managers who manage the purchase lifecycle from sourcing through logistics and documentation.

The business model is straightforward wholesale distribution: Garson & Shaw operates as an exclusive sales office for four major US collectors of credential clothing and resells graded secondhand textiles on a quote-based pricing structure, with no public price list and no orders accepted below full container or trailer load thresholds. The company's competitive positioning rests on three decades of supplier relationships, multilingual sales coverage, full-service international logistics and customs documentation, and thought leadership in the circular economy space (annual industry reports, a biennial Reuse Before Recycle conference, and a YouTube docuseries). Garson & Shaw is not a technology company; there is no proprietary software platform, no API, no mobile application, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities — competitive advantage is rooted in physical supply chain integration, supplier exclusivity, and trade expertise rather than technology.

Name

Garson & Shaw

Legal name

Garson & Shaw LLC

Website

https://garsonshaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Garson & Shaw is a privately held Atlanta-based wholesale supplier of secondhand clothing, shoes, and household items sold exclusively in full container or trailer loads to thrift stores, charities, and for-profit buyers across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Secondhand Clothing: Revenue generated from selling secondhand clothing and related items (shoes, household goods) in wholesale quantities to businesses worldwide. Products sold in full container loads or full trailer loads only. Collection sources span the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, and other regions. Products are graded and sorted into various quality tiers and shipped globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Garson & Shaw is a global B2B wholesale supplier of secondhand clothing, shoes, and household items, sourcing credential clothing and thrift store leftovers from the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company grades and sorts goods into seven product categories (Credential Clothing, Mixed Rags, Tropical Mix, Sorted Items, Premium Quality, Used Shoes, and Combined Loads) and sells exclusively in full container or trailer loads to thrift stores, charities, and for-profit resale companies worldwide. Operations include an in-house logistics department handling international shipping, documentation, and regulatory compliance.

Product overview

Garson & Shaw is a global wholesale supplier of secondhand clothing and related items, operating as a B2B wholesale distributor rather than a software platform. The company offers seven core product categories: Credential Clothing (unsorted donations), Mixed Rags (leftover thrift store items), Tropical Mix (presorted tropical climate clothing), Sorted Items (categorized by type and quality), Premium Quality/Shop Quality (highest grade sorted clothing), Used Shoes, and Combined Loads (mixed merchandise). Products are sold exclusively in full container or trailer loads. The company operates from Atlanta, Georgia with additional offices in Belize, Slovakia, and Costa Rica.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Credential Clothing Unsorted, untouched secondhand clothing donations sold in the exact condition in which they were donated, packed as originally bagged. Sold exclusively in full container or trailer loads to wholesale buyers such as thrift stores, charities, and for-profit resale companies worldwide.
• Mixed Rags Leftover clothing from thrift stores that did not sell, consisting of items with flaws such as holes, missing buttons, stains, or items hung but not purchased. Commonly packed in large 1,000 lb bales and sold in full container or trailer loads to wholesale buyers.
• Tropical Mix Secondhand clothing presorted specifically for countries with tropical climates, consisting only of lightweight summer clothes and household rummage such as bed sheets and towels. Packed in approximately 1,000 lb bales and sold in full container loads.
• Sorted Items Lightweight summer clothes sorted into specific categories by type and quality, available in No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 quality (Grade A, B, C). Sold in small bales of 100 or 120 lbs in full container or trailer loads.
• Premium Quality (Shop Quality) Highest grade of used clothing available, representing a small percentage of total collected goods. Items are carefully inspected, with only high-quality items featuring good fashion appeal, strong brands, and excellent condition included. Sold wholesale in full container or trailer loads.
• Used Shoes Secondhand shoes collected across the USA, Canada, and Europe, available in categories including credential shoes, institutional shoes, and sorted shoes. Sold as is in shoe bags or cap-sacks in wholesale container or trailer loads.
• Combined Loads Mixed containers featuring a variety of items including soft toys, hard toys, kitchenware, accessories, shoes, and bicycles. Can include toys, sporting goods, kitchenware, luggage, and other miscellaneous secondhand goods. Sold in full container or trailer loads.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves the equivalent of 600 million t-shirts from landfill each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Learning Institute (INA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in the Textile Reuse and Upcycling Pilot Project in Costa Rica. INA promotes vocational training and certification services facilitating employability, social mobility, and technical human talent development. Participants in the upcycling project use INA's educational programs and facilities for product development.
• Téikiq (Clúster Costarricense de Innovación Tecnológica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Textile Reuse and Upcycling Pilot Project in Costa Rica. Téikiq is dedicated to training and implementing programs that promote technological and digital innovation in northern Costa Rica, boosting business development of local communities.
• United Nations (SDGs)minorOthersGarson & Shaw displays the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) logo on its website footer, indicating alignment with global sustainability goals.
• BIR (Bureau of International Recycling)minorOthersGarson & Shaw displays the BIR logo on its website footer. BIR is the Bureau of International Recycling, a global recycling industry organization. Garson & Shaw participates in BIR events including the World Recycling Convention.
• American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham)minorOthersGarson & Shaw displays AmCham logos including Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador chapters on its website footer, indicating membership in American Chambers of Commerce across Central America.
• Smart ASNminorOthersGarson & Shaw displays the Smart ASN logo on its website footer.

Scale indicators4 records

Direct peers

• CalRecovery Inc. California-based wholesale exporter of secondhand clothing, shoes, and rags to global markets. Operates the same B2B container-load model as Garson & Shaw, sourcing from US collectors and serving buyers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Trans-Americas Trading Co. Florida-based wholesale exporter of used clothing, mixed rags, and shoes sold in container loads to importers worldwide. Directly comparable B2B secondhand textile business with similar buyer geography.
• Bank & Vogue Group: Toronto-headquartered wholesale trader and processor of secondhand clothing and textiles with global operations including European and African logistics. Comparable business model with similar grade sorting and container-load export focus.
• I:CO (I:COLLECT): German-based textile collection and sorting company operating the global I:CO secondhand clothing supply chain. Directly comparable role as collector/sorter in the same secondhand value chain as Garson & Shaw, with overlapping European supply networks.
• TRUTEX Group: UK-based wholesale exporter of secondhand clothing, shoes, and household textiles in container loads. Comparable B2B operation sourcing from European donation streams and exporting globally.
• Soex Group: German textile recycling and wholesale company operating large-scale sorting facilities for secondhand clothing with global export operations. Directly comparable in supply chain position and buyer geography.

Emerging players

• ThredUp Inc. US-based online resale platform for secondhand apparel, operating consumer-facing recirculation programs with brand and retailer partners. Adjacent to Garson & Shaw's market rather than a direct B2B competitor, but represents the digital channel that could disintermediate traditional wholesale flows.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large US nonprofit thrift and donation operator; both a potential upstream supplier (via baled unsold goods reaching Garson & Shaw) and a downstream retail competitor in the secondhand space. Comparable touchpoints in the donation-to-resale supply chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/PLAwq1DEnQleqXhVa42UES66Mr94ymyWU6
• Xx.com/garsonandshaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Garson & Shaw