Thrifting is simply the act of buying/selling used clothes or household items. For Naija, we de call am “Okrika”, “bend down select”

The clothing market in Africa is a booming multimillion dollar business with high profit yielding potential. One can attribute this to the fashion conscious mentality of its young adults

Ever since the exchange rate went up, shopping has become something that some people now take time to save for. I remember when the exchange rate for a dollar was one hundred and fifty naira! That was when people would shop without a care in the world. I was a student then and I remember how I used to end up buying things that I didn’t even need because the rates were unbelievably low.

Back then, one could afford to buy several designer dresses without being afraid of their account statement at the end of the month! Some people even travelled out of Naija because of shopping.

I remember a pregnant friend of mine who said she would only shop from “yankee” for her baby. Of course it was very affordable then,

Parents would take the kids out almost every weekend on an impromptu shopping spree. Spouses would surprise their partners with shopping vouchers. Heck, some even shut down the mall for their better half.

Those were the good ol’ days o!

Now, with one dollar going at three hundred and sixty naira, people have learnt to “manage” what they have. There are less cases of surprise shopping spree; nobody is shutting down the mall for anyone (lol). Some people de even check account balance before them go pay make dem no go end up with minimum balance before month go end.

Everybody don simply remain for their corner.

Thrifting has now become a trend. It has become a business that is yielding great profit. Its all over the social media. Nowadays, one doesn’t even have to be physically present in the market to get a good looking thrift item. People that have delved into the business have taken it to a new level through social media and online shopping! There are several social media handles that deal with thrift sales and one would be amazed at the number of followers these instagram and facebook accounts have.

Even the rich now buy okrika thrift clothing. Some people now prefer to buy thrift than brand new clothing or household items because honestly, some of these items are never used and are very durable and half the time one can barely tell if it’s a used item or brand new.

Recently, on instagram, there was a trending topic on thrifting. People were asked if they would ever consider buying second hand items and I was pleasantly surprised at the responses that I saw. Even celebrities came out to admit that they indeed buy and use second hand items. 

Thrifting is the new way to look good with a budget. It has helped people with lower income to be able to buy and dress themselves or their family fairly well without having to break the bank. There are a number of factors that has made the thrifting business profitable and these include its affordability, quality, variety, durability among others.

Thrifting is one of the few businesses you do not need an advert for and it requires little capital.

Even though it’s an illegal trade, it is one that has taken the market by storm and it is a trade that has definitely come to stay.