# Physical Online Thrift Shops eCommerce Startup thredUP is Opening Physical Retail Locations By Alyson Wyers | Published 2017-06-28 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/physical-retail-locations References: [techcrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/online-thrift-store-thredup-is-opening-physical-retail-locations/) & [thredup](https://www.thredup.com) Joining a growing number of ecommerce sites building brick and mortar spaces, [secondhand clothing store](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/consignment-retailers) thredUP recently announced they will be opening physical retail locations. This demonstrates, despite growing numbers of companies being online only or mobile-focused, there is still a need to connect with consumers face to face. thredUP hopes to have five physical retail locations open for business by the end of the year. The first soft-opened today in San Marco, Texas (in between San Antonio and Austin), where the online thrift store already has a high density of existing customers. The thinking behind this move, according to [TechCrunch](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inapp-games), is "the startup has a ton of customer data that it can use to improve the old-school shopping experience." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 60% | Activity: 89% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Brick-and-mortar Expansion:** eCommerce companies like thredUP are opening physical retail locations to connect with consumers face to face, showing a trend of expanding into brick-and-mortar spaces. - **Omnichannel Strategies:** The move towards physical retail locations by online thrift store thredUP highlights the trend of eCommerce sites adopting omnichannel strategies to enhance customer experience. - **Data-driven Shopping:** thredUP's use of customer data to improve the in-store shopping experience demonstrates the trend of leveraging data-driven strategies to enhance traditional retail practices. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Ecommerce:** The growth of physical retail locations by thredUP signals an opportunity for eCommerce companies to expand into brick-and-mortar spaces and connect with customers in new ways. - **Thrift Retail:** The foray of online thrift store thredUP into physical retail locations opens up opportunities for the thrift retail industry to modernize and offer a blended online and offline experience to customers. - **Retail Technology:** thredUP's utilization of customer data for improving the shopping experience emphasizes the need for innovative retail technology solutions that leverage data analytics and customer insights. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [E-Commerce Brick-And-Mortar Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-furniture-company.md) - [AI Thrifting Assistants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/thredup-2.md) - [Phygital Vintage Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/byronesque.md) - [Live Shopping Flagships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/outlandish.md) - [Sustainable Marketplace Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mercari-pop-up.md) - [Experiential Running Shoe Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sportsshoes.md) - [Brick-and-Mortar Digital Grocer Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freshdirect-retail-location.md) - [Physical Metaverse Merchandise Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roblox-x-shopify.md) - [Modern Denim Pop-Up Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urban-outfitters-2.md)