In the age of consumerism, MCC thrift shops are gaining traction among young people as popularity around second-hand shopping surges.

"I would say that in the 10 years that I've worked here I haven't noticed a dramatic change, but I think if you look back further I think you'll find that it has changed a fair bit," said Kevin Hamm, who manages an MCC thrift shop in Manitoba. "I know that it has definitely become more of a trend to shop thrift that maybe wasn't a thing back in the '70s or even the '80s, so there's definitely a new feeling about thrift that it's a bit more trendy to do so rather than just something you do because it's something you need."

He says customers are shopping at thrift shops less as a means to save money, and more out of curiosity and for fun, adding that nostalgia, awareness and the Internet are also driving forces.

He explained that the generation of MCC's founding volunteers had a tendency to use something until it was done and move forward, but young people are more interested in buying items that remind them of the past and to be more environmentally conscious.

Second-hand stores can be an environmentally beneficial stop for fashion lovers who don't want to support unsustainable or unethical fashion brands and production practices. These types of shops can also be a roadblock in preventing gently-used items from being discarded into landfills when they're unwanted.

Over the last few decades, there has been a shift in the way people view second-hand shopping and MCC thrift shops are doing the best they can to embrace this change, said Hamm.

While prices for general items have not necessarily increased, Hamm says the workers are paying more attention to items that might have a higher going-rate, such as antique furniture. Some stores have adopted a silent auction feature, have tried to sell items online, and have added a 'pop culture' cabinet to showcase items that customers are most eager to spend money on.

"I think we have learned how to display things a little more attractively, to present things in a way that is desirable, and to present things in such a way that makes the value of them a little more recognized," Hamm said.

Although this boom in second-hand shopping has not necessarily increased the number of sales by large numbers, Hamm says items that weren't being bought before are now catching more attention.