The 9 Best Thrift Stores In Utah (And 5 To Avoid…)

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Whether you’re a visitor to the state or live here full-time finding the best thrift stores in Utah is no easy task.

Not only does Utah have a ton of mom & pop thrift stores but the state has a “donate everything” kind of attitude which has also resulted in a large number of “corporate” thrift stores moving into the area.

Like in most places, the best thrift stores in Utah are usually kept secret by those who frequent them. After all, why would someone give up their honey hole?

Personally, I don’t see the problem in discussing what I think are the best thrift stores in my backyard. There are so many things for sale and so many places to buy them that a thrift store can hardly ever be overrun.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 thrift stores that you should stop into in Utah!

I will also note, that I only included “real” thrift stores here. There are tons of excellent thrift boutiques in Utah as well as antique malls, resale stores, etc. Since all of them reduce the thrill of the hunt to some extent (as well as inflating prices) I only included those thrift stores on the front line that are directly selling donated goods to the public.

10 Best Thrift Stores In Utah

1. St. Lawrence – Heber City

I really debated sharing, what I think, is the best thrift store in Utah. It’s fairly small and out of the way but, if word got out, I’m afraid it could be overrun.

So I’m banking on you thinking it’s too far away.

St. Lawrence Thrift in Heber City is a small church-owned thrift store that receives donations from wealthy residents and tourists in Park City and the surrounding area.

I regularly find brands that I’ve never heard of them in my entire time of being a peasant.

Not only do they have an awesome collection of furniture, clothing, toys, and home goods but they also save up some incredible items for two yearly sales: a ski sale where they sell tons of outdoor winter gear and a camp sale where they sell tons of summer gear.

Take the trip to Heber, it’ll be worth it!

2. Savers – Draper

Rule number one of finding a great thrift store is to stick to affluent areas.

The Savers in Draper is a very nice store in a very nice location. What’s more, there is always a mile-long line to donate since there aren’t many other thrift stores in the area.

Just make sure you sign up for the Saver’s Club so you can get discounts!

3. Goodwill – Murray

While it’s fine, at times, to visit hole-in-the-wall thrift stores they typically just don’t have the inventory turnover to produce consistently good finds. This is why the first Goodwill on this list is the biggest Goodwill in Utah.

This store is big and had just about every type of item you could imagine. The main specialty here is clothes so you’ll have a hard time finding many good outdoor items or electronics. With that being said I did find a vintage stereo receiver here that I flipped for more than $1,000 in profit!

There aren’t a ton of resellers here digging through the racks and they have pretty good pricing and sales (although they’ve been more inconsistent since covid).

4. Deseret Industries – Springville

This is one of the newest DIs in the area and is probably the nicest. Because it’s a bit out of the way it isn’t full of pickers. What’s more, it gets all the donations from the (wealthy) surrounding areas of Mapleton, Payson, Springville, etc.

All types of items are well represented here but, as with most DIs it’s absolutely packed with clothes that are the height of fashion. Or at least they were 30 years ago.

6. Savers – South Jordan

As with the other “good” Savers locations in Utah, it all comes down to the location and how the store chooses to price things.

This store is always better priced than any Savers near me (except for shoes) and has a constant influx of great clothes and shoes. Their electronics and outdoor section is seriously lacking but I guess you can’t have everything!

7. Goodwill Outlet – Salt Lake

First off, if you’ve never been to a Goodwill Outlet then you’re in for a treat. The Goodwill Outlet in Salt Lake City gets all of the unsold goods from Utah’s Goodwills as well as the overflow of raw donations that they don’t have the manpower to process.

If you’re interested in really digging for your finds and buying clothing by the pound (as well as home goods and everything else) then take the time to stop in here!

8. Heber Valley Thrift – Heber Valley

This is the second thrift store in the Heber Valley to make this list. Don’t worry, there are only two in the valley so there won’t be another one. While you’re in Heber visiting St. Lawrence you may as well pass by here too as they have many of the small donators.

The pricing here is typically a bit wild (like they think they’re a boutique) but most of the week they have a 40, 50, or 60% off sale for everything in the store.

There is a good selection of furniture, lots of toys and home goods, and a few shoes.

9. Habitat For Humanity of Utah Valley – Orem

If you want anything for a craft, DIY project, or home maintenance then this is the thrift store you want to visit. Among the things that most thrift stores don’t take are construction and home supplies but that’s all Habitat for Humanity takes!

I’ve bought wood, nails, draw rails, and even a mailbox here. You also never know what you’re going to find in their miscellaneous section as they get donations from businesses which may include clothes, decorations, or even vitamins. A true thrift store experience!

Oh and they’re also known as the ReStore if that rings a bell.

While this wraps up my top 9, there are a few other awesome stores that I didn’t get to mention that you should check out if you have the time:

• Calvary Thrift Store – West Jordan
• The Other Side Thrift Boutique – Murray
• Goodwill – Millcreek

What Makes A Great Thrift Store?

What makes a great thrift store depends heavily on the types of items you’re looking for. For example, the best thrift store for clothes might not be the best for kitchen items.

At the end of the day, the only real way to find out if a thrift store is great is to visit it. However, there are a couple of things you can do to cut down on the options you have to go to.

1. Location

The best thrift stores are located in wealthy suburbs. Thrift stores in the city are typically overrun and those in rural areas just don’t have enough donations to consistently be great.

So look for thrift stores in affluent areas that are a bit out of the way. You’ll find things donated by rich people who live nearby. After all, they won’t be super likely to visit the thrift stores themselves.

2. Size (Or Selection)

Some of the best thrift stores I’ve been to are tiny mom-and-pop stores that take all kinds of strange donations.

Big box thrift stores have a list of things you can’t donate which cuts down on the options they have available for shoppers.

In my opinion, the best thrift stores in Utah have a good selection of every type of item. They’ll have clothes, furniture, electronics, and everything in between. If you’re interested in just one type of item (such as clothing or building supplies) then you could visit the applicable thrift stores (Plato’s Closet or the ReStore respectively).

3. Cleanliness

If you have a Goodwill Outlet near you that you frequent you probably know what it feels like to feel like you need a shower after thrifting.

While there are great thrift finds to be had everywhere, I prioritized thrift stores that are clean and approachable so as to be palatable to nearly everyone.

4. Staff

No matter how great a thrift store is, the entire experience can be ruined by the employees and culture of the store. There is a thrift store (that I may or may not mention in the next section) that I will never visit because of the employees.

They are cranky and, if I find things that are underpriced (which is the entire point of thrifting), they’ll try to reprice them at the register as I check out.

On the other hand, I will routinely visit thrift stores where people are nice and smile at my cheeky kids!

5. Good Business Practices

I once showed up at a Utah Savers with a van full of stuff to donate and had an employee tell me,

“I’ll be honest with you. You can donate it here but we have too much stuff and we’re just going to chuck it all into the dumpster. If you actually want it to be sold, you can go drop it off at … thrift store down the street.”

Needless to say, I was pretty taken aback.

Unfortunately, such practices are not unusual. While I typically prioritize getting a good deal I do my best to support thrift stores that are actual charities or at least operate with ethical business practices.

5 Thrift Stores To Avoid (Worst Thrift Stores In Utah)

Before I list some of, what I think, are the worst thrift stores in Utah I’ll give you a caveat. There are a bunch of smaller owner-operated thrift stores that really are terrible. In fact, there is one less than 200 feet from my house that I literally never go to because it’s so bad.

However, I won’t throw any of them under the bus here. They’re just trying to make a living.

Having said that, I will throw some big-box thrift locations straight into the fire. Many of these thrift stores are not charitable but are “for-profit” corporations.

Remember, this isn’t a commentary on the people that work there (generally) but the overall quality of the offerings, store atmosphere, etc.

1. Deseret Industries In Provo

First off, I have found great things at this thrift store. The finds are just few and far between.

The real reason that I avoid this thrift store is the customers and staff.

This store is absolutely full of people that my wife and I call vultures. People who literally bring their families and friends and camp out on the furniture. They then rush every single new cart that comes out and stick everything they can grab into their cart before deciding whether or not they want it.

What’s more, they know all the lower-level employees who bring out the carts and I have even seen them give the employees gifts or grab things for them.

Avoid this store unless you like being frustrated or want to fight with a bunch of grubbers to buy people’s used stuff.

2. Savers In Orem

The main problem with this Savers is that it’s smack dab in the middle of Orem and there isn’t another one with 40 minutes.

This store is absolutely crawling with thrifters and reselling at every hour of the day. If you get lucky enough to find something good here it was because the universe aligned and somehow it went unseen by the hordes of people.

Not to mention that they take their collectibles section seriously and put just about everything that’s decent under glass for insane prices. I get that you should charge what people will pay but many things in their collectibles section fail to sell even when they’re half off.

There are find to be had here but, if you can, get a Saver’s in our list of “good” stores above and you’ll be rewarded for the drive.

3. Savers In Taylorsville

If you’re looking for an inner-city thrift store then this is just what you want.

Sparse offerings, poor location, and poor pricing make this location a pass.

I’ve only been here twice despite driving by it at least 50 times and don’t plan on visiting again any time soon.

4. Goodwill In Layton

We’re always excited when a new Goodwill opens in Utah since they’re a relative newcomer to the state.

This one, however, was a wild disappointment. It’s the smallest and most over-priced of Utah’s Goodwills.

While we still stop by if we happen to be in the area I would never make a trip specifically to visit this Goodwill.

5. DI In Sugarhouse

This is actually a great thrift store. Just not for me and probably not for you.

Unlike most large thrift stores Deseret Industries actually does a huge amount of charity work. They allow people in need to get clothing, shoes, and more for free, and no location seems to do this more than the Sugarhouse location.

This means that there are far fewer options for shoppers. Combine that with the number of “pickers” that hang out and bull-rush every new cart and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything that’s not 30 years out of style.

Conclusion

I hope this was helpful in giving you a few more Utah thrift stores to add to your rotation!

Just remember, the real secret to finding great things in thrift stores is to spend lots of time in thrift stores. So go often and stay for a long time!

Good luck!