Charleston Weekly

Charleston’s renowned for its beaches, its diverse food scene, and its shopping. Downtown (King Street in particular) is strewn with fancy boutiques, trendy retailers, and other high-end shops and stores. But what if you don’t have the moolah to go shopping (and buying) at the typical Charleston retail spot?

Don’t sweat it! There are plenty of places in the area where you can go home with some goodies—without maxing out your credit card.

1. Goodwill Industries (several Charleston locations)

When you think about Goodwill Industries, you probably think about the non-profit organization where you occasionally donate old clothes, furniture, or other items. But it really is so much more than that! Goodwill retail locations are home to some of the best, inexpensive finds around. Just this past week, the Goodwill store in Conway reported having some brand-new Coach handbags for sale. Imagine what other great buys you can find on any given day in any one of the Lowcountry’s Goodwill shops?

2. Oops! (696 Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant and 326 King Street, Charleston)

Oops! carries brand-name, catalog clothing and accessories and sells them for a great price—most of the time, for at least half-off. Every season, Oops! features terrific sales and deals, so be sure to keep an eye out at the marquee in front of their locations, which alerts customers of current deals and steals.

3. Butterfly Consignments (several Charleston locations)

For three years in a row, Butterfly Consignments has been voted Charleston’s best consignment store. They were also featured in Southern Living…so you know they’re doing something right! At these retail shops, you can expect to find trendy women’s apparel and accessories from brand labels such as Banana Republic, White House Black Market, DVF, J. Crew, True Religion, Versace, Gucci, and even Prada—and everything in-between. It’s also a great place to stock up on shoes, jewelry, and other items that will help to set off your ensemble and make you stand out. And the great news is that you’ll be able to save while you shop!

4. Exchange Factor (5128 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston)

All thrift stores are not created equal. There are your run-of-the-mill thrift retailers…and then there’s Exchange Factor. Since 1992, Exchange Factor has run on a buy-and-sell concept that means that you bring in your old clothing, sunglasses, CDs, home décor items, and whatever else you have laying around—and you get cashola for it. Then you can turn around and buy some of what the place is selling.

5. Uptown Cheapskate

Here’s just one more place where you can go to sell your name-brand clothes and accessories and then buy up someone else’s. It’s recycling at its best! For a top, you’ll spend around $5—for denim, as little as $8. Shoes will run you a mere $7 or more, and designer styles will set you back about $20. It’s all about saving some cash while filling up your closet and changing up your wardrobe.

As you can see, there are plenty of places where you can get some top-quality shopping in without going broke. Did we leave out any of your favorite save-and-shop go-to spots?