Ahh thrifting, what better way to spend a day? Although there’s a time and a place for a browse through Value Village, ideally we are directing our thrift dollars towards more worthy causes. And when we talk about thrift stores, we mean thrift stores. A good old-fashioned, thrill of the hunt, second hand shop with affordable prices. Thrift stores are not consignment shops and they aren’t curated vintage (but we love those too!). The Okanagan actually has some fantastic thrifting! Here is our list of the best thrift stores in Kelowna…and a few bonus thrift stores that are worth the drive around the Okanagan.
First, the TLDR. For more tips (and quite frankly, to help increase my website’s engagement rate) – please, keep scrolling!
Related: A complete list of online thrift stores in Canada
Address: 6-368 Industrial Ave, Kelowna
The Kelowna Women’s Shelter Thrift Store is a community thrift store helping local women with clothing and jobs. It’s one of the best thrift stores in Kelowna because not only does it support a great cause, but its also a favourite for locals to shop at. While the regular prices are already very fair, they also often run 50% off sales on specific categories or tag colours. Keep an eye on their social media for details on sales or other community initiatives!
Tip: They mostly sell clothes and household items but no furniture!
Address: 189 Hwy 33 E, Kelowna
iThrift might be the best thrift store in Kelowna if you’re looking to stretch your dollar. Aside from auction items, everything in-store is just $2. It’s independently owned and operated, so while it’s not tied to a specific charity, shopping here supports a local small business. Plus, keeping an ultra-affordable thrift store running helps make secondhand shopping accessible to more people. They also run bidding wars on their Facebook page if you’re into that kind of thing.
Tip: Everything is $2!
Address: 140 Dougall Rd N, Kelowna
Rutland Thrift is another favourite independent thrift store in Kelowna. Shopping here supports the Kelowna General Hospital! Plus, they’re always running sales, and their boutique section is fun if you want a slightly more curated thrift shopping experience.
Tip: Be sure to appreciate the beautiful mural by Uptown Murals painted on the exterior
Address: 581 Gaston Ave, Kelowna
The S.H.A.R.E Society Thrift Store doesn’t look big from the outside, but it’s definitely worth a stop if you love to thrift. Prices have gone up a bit (which is happening just about everywhere) but at least shopping here means you’re helping a great cause. S.H.A.R.E is all about giving back to the city, with most of the money made going straight to their community initiatives.
Tip: No big bags are allowed inside and they close their cash registers a little before the store actually closes. Leave yourself plenty of buffer to shop before closing.
Address: 125 Roxby Rd, Kelowna
The Kelowna Gospel Mission Thrift Store is a thrift store in Kelowna that supports the community. All proceeds go to the Kelowna Gospel Mission, which provides free meals and safe shelter to the community! The thrift store is set up so you can easily find what you’re looking for, and the items for sale are of great quality and condition, at pretty good prices.
Tip: Tuesday is Seniors day (20% off all items!) and students always get 15% off with valid student ID
Address: 155 Rutland Rd S, Kelowna
The MCC Thrift Store is another one of the best thrift stores in Kelowna to support instead of Value Village. It’s a great spot for finding clothing, furniture or decorations for your walls without spending a lot. There’s a pretty high turnover of inventory so it’s worth stopping in frequently to see what’s new. Shopping here supports projects by MCC, which is an A rated charity that provides aid to vulnerable communities around the world.
Tip: Look for special deals based on the colour of the price tag and students get 20% off with their ID
Address: 1889 Springfield Rd Unit 120, Kelowna, BC V1Y 5V5
The Mission Thrift Store is big, bright, and well-organized, making it a solid thrift stop in Kelowna. They’ve got dressing rooms so you can try things on, and daily deals that let you save even more. While Mission Thrift does good work in the secondhand space, it’s worth noting that they support evangelical Christian initiatives (Bibles for Missions focuses on distributing Bibles internationally). That said, if you’re looking for affordable secondhand finds, it’s a store worth checking out.
Tip: If you go a lot, sign up for their loyalty program to collect points and redeem on future purchases
Address: 200 Rutland Rd S Unit 2, Kelowna
The Salvation Army Kelowna Thrift Store might be an obvious choice but it still deserves a spot on the list. The prices are far from great but they do have weeks where you can get 50% off items with specific tag colours so there are ways to shop strategically.
Address: 3751 Woodsdale Rd, Lake Country
The Winfield United Church Thrift Shop in Lake Country and is run by a team of volunteers. Shopping here supports the church as well as a couple of other groups and charities in the community. They’ve got a nice selection of clean, good quality stuff like clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, toys, books, and even small appliances. Prices are as low as you’d hope from a church-run thrift shop, making it a budget-friendly stop for thrifters.
Tip: The hours are tricky as they are only open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Address: 3531 Old Okanagan Hwy #100, Westbank
The Salvation Army Westbank Thrift Store, located in Westbank, is a big thrift store that is maaaaaybe worth the drive across the bridge (if you’re coming from that direction). Maybe. If you are passing by and in the mood to thrift then sure, stop here. Otherwise I would recommend directing your thrift energy to some of the other spots on this list.
Address: 4421 4 St, Peachland
The Peachland United Church Bargain Bin Thrift Store is a small, community-focused shop with friendly volunteers and great prices. It’s run by Peachland United Church, with donations shared among local groups and a focus on giving back where they can. They’re not open every day, so it’s worth checking ahead before you go.
Tip: They are open Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. (at the time of writing)
Address: 13208 Victoria Rd N, Summerland
The Critteraid Animal Sanctuary & Charity Thrift Shoppe in Summerland a bit of a drive from Kelowna but well worth a visit. All proceeds helps the Critteraid animals. The shop is run by friendly volunteers aaaand it’s right next door to what might be the best thrift store in all of the Okanagan (see below) so you can hit up the double whammy of Summerland thrifting.
Address: 13216 Victoria Rd N, Summerland
The Summerland Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop has been crowned “the best thrift store in the Okanagan” by locals and tourists alike. People say it has the best stuff and the best prices and travel from far and wide to shop here. It’s always busy here. I’ve never not seen a long checkout line. Seriously, where does everybody come from?! This shop is run by volunteers, and since 1909, they’ve given nearly $9 million to health care. Highly recommend a visit!
Tip: They are open limited hours (1-4pm from Tuesday – Saturday) so make sure to plan accordingly
So, there you go! Kelowna has plenty of thrift stores with a real purpose, offering you many, many more choices than just Value Village. Happy thrifting and may the odds be ever in your favour.
