USAC opens thrift shop on Tuesday at Bruin Plaza
By Aram Ghoogasian
Dec. 2, 2013 12:35 a.m.
Racks of clothes will line Bruin Plaza on Tuesday to kick off UCLA’s first on-campus thrift shop.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council Facilities Commission plans to open the outdoor thrift shop to provide students with affordable clothes, said USAC Facilities Commissioner Armen Hadjimanoukian.
Students from at least 28 student groups will contribute their own clothing to the thrift shop, Hadjimanoukian said.
Each student organization will have its own rack of clothes and will collect profit from the clothes it sells.
The USAC Facilities Commission plans to host the thrift shop every quarter and possibly expand or institutionalize the event in the future, Hadjimanoukian said.
“We’re starting small,” Hadjimanoukian said. “Ideally we would like to have a full-time store.”
Some students said they would shop at the thrift shop and supported the idea.
“(Thrift shopping is) easy on my wallet … and because it is inexpensive, I get more clothes for the price of one expensive item,” said Corinne Williams, a first-year psychology student.
Some students said they find the novelty of shopping for secondhand clothes intriguing.
“(Thrift shops are) a great place to experiment and develop your sense of style,” said Crystal Gianvecchio, a second-year biology student. “Every time I want a new sweater, the nearest thrift shop is my first destination because I know that I’ll find something completely unique.”
The ultimate goal of the thrift shop is to bring students together in a fun, affordable way, Hadjimanoukian said.
