# America's Thrift Stores

> America's Thrift Stores is a private, for-profit secondhand retailer that turns donated clothing and household goods into affordable inventory, charity-partner payments and a large-scale reuse stream. Founded in 1984 and based in Irondale, Alabama, the chain operates 36 stores across the Southeast as of June 2026, supported by thousands of donation points, staffed centers and free home pickups. Its differentiator is operational discipline: clean, highly categorized floors, more than 10,000 items added to each store daily, and local nonprofit relationships tied to the flow of donated goods.

- **Founded:** 1984
- **Headquarters:** Irondale, Alabama, United States
- **Founders:** James Buford Salmon (Founder and longtime CEO)
- **Team size:** More than 1,500 employees; LinkedIn lists a 1,001-5,000 employee range.
- **Products:** Thrift retail stores, Donation collection network, Free home pickup, Bags for Bucks, America's Thrift Rewards
- **Notable:** Expanded from 24 stores in early 2022 to 36 announced stores by June 2026., Built a donation network described in public materials as more than 2,000 collection locations, with earlier investor materials citing more than 2,500 sites., Reports adding more than 10,000 unique items to each store every day.

## Products & services

- **Thrift retail stores** — Large-format stores selling donated and selected new clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, books, electronics and household goods, organized by department and size.
- **Donation collection network** — Store drop-offs, freestanding bins, community donation locations and staffed drive-up centers that source the chain's secondhand inventory.
- **Free home pickup** — Scheduled pickup service in eligible markets for households with qualifying quantities of ready-to-use goods.
- **Bags for Bucks** — A no-upfront-cost fundraising program that pays participating schools, teams, churches and nonprofits based on donated goods collected.
- **America's Thrift Rewards** — A loyalty program offering points, savings and member promotions at participating stores.
- **Online resale** — A selective e-commerce channel for jewelry, electronics, designer accessories, shoes, apparel and collectibles, including an eBay storefront.
- **Wholesale and recycling** — Unsold goods move to wholesale partners and may be broken into material streams such as textiles, wiring, plastics and metals.

## Achievements

- Expanded from 24 stores in early 2022 to 36 announced stores by June 2026.
- Built a donation network described in public materials as more than 2,000 collection locations, with earlier investor materials citing more than 2,500 sites.
- Reports adding more than 10,000 unique items to each store every day.
- Reported diverting more than 70 million pounds of donatable goods from landfills annually by 2026, up from earlier public claims of 45 million pounds.
- Reported giving more than $3 million to charity partners annually on its LinkedIn company profile.
- Reached more than $700,000 in contributions to Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee since the partnership began in 2019.
- Earned BBB accreditation dating to 1985 and an A+ BBB rating as of 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Announced a Gainesville, Georgia location as the chain's 36th store and seventh in Georgia; the opening schedule was subsequently reported as postponed.
- **2026-05** — Opened in Madison, Tennessee, its 35th store and fifth in the state, while reporting annual landfill diversion above 70 million pounds.
- **2025-12** — Opened its 34th store in Rome, Georgia.
- **2025-09** — Opened its 33rd store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and said its Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee contributions had topped $700,000 since 2019.
- **2025-08** — Chris Homewood succeeded Ken Sobaski as CEO; Sobaski moved to the board after nearly 12 years leading the company.
- **2022-02** — TZP Group led a majority recapitalization alongside Nuveen Global Impact Fund when the chain had 24 stores.

## Links

- Website: https://www.americasthrift.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/americasthrift/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@americasthriftstores7805
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americasthrift/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americasthrift/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@americasthrift

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/america-s-thrift-stores
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-12