While many businesses continue to struggle in this economy, thrift shops across the country are receiving more business than ever before.

Stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army have seen a boost in sales in the past year, offering second hand goods at low prices with the proceeds going to charity.

‘I think its guilt-free shopping, because you don’t have to spend a lot of money to look good and then you’re helping provide jobs within your local community,’ said Lauren Lawson, media relations manager for Goodwill International. ‘Our sales are doing better in this economy than say, Target or Kmart, so while other retails are suffering and their stocks are suffering, Goodwill sales are up.’

Michael Gold started a Web site about five years ago, called TheThriftShopper.com, to guarantee that everyone in the nation can find charity thrift shops.

He praised Goodwill’s operation and its impact globally as a charitable organization.

‘They have some of the top-notch marketing people in their businesses and they’re run like big profit corporations, that doesn’t mean they’re a big for-profit corporation, that just means they are run well,’ Gold said. ‘They are non-profit and they do very-very well for their charities.’

Gold’s site only lists shops that directly benefit charitable organizations.

‘There are a lot of businesses out there that call themselves thrift shops that are not thrift shops,’ Gold said. ‘If you look up ‘thrift shops’ in Webster’s Dictionary it says, ‘a business that takes donations and sells those goods to benefit a charity,’ so all the listings in our directory only benefit charities.’

Gold said there are two categories of thrift shops that they list in their directory.

‘One is the complete 501c3 non-profit, which 100 percent of the profits go to the charity,’ Gold said. ‘Then there’s stores that actually purchase their goods from a charity, usually by bulk weight, and then the charity does make money off of it, but then the store is a for-profit business.’

The Web site not only serves as a directory, but also as a place where thrift shoppers can meet and talk about ideas in a forum. In the past year, the site has gained more attention than ever before.

‘More people are investigating thrift shops as an option to spending full retail because of the recession,’ Gold said. ‘Our numbers are three times what they were three years ago.’

Chrissy Burkhardt, a frequent thrift shopper, sees advantages beyond the reasonably priced goods.

‘I find great deals on clothes and it’s nice to know that the money I’m spending is going to a good cause,’ she said.

Lawson said she believes the increased popularity in thrift is not simply a short-lived fad.

‘I definitely see this continuing,’ Lawson said. ‘People want to make their dollar go further.’