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Thrift clothes otherwise known as Okrika are a popular set of fairly affordable clothes.
This is either because they are old stock or have been previously used.
One of the most asked questions on this topic is, what is thrift clothes? Thrifting simply means going on a form of garage sales of items not limited to clothing, jeans, bags, shoes, raincoats, working jackets, electronics and even baby wear.
One major reason for the popularity of these particular things is their affordability or high quality. There is a firm belief that the items that are imported from specific countries, especially in North America and Europe have better quality than items produced in some Asian and African countries.
This is mostly because the Western Countries have more strict quality control policies and their people also easily give away used items.
What Items Can Be Gotten From Thrifts?
There is no limit to what can be sold as thrifts and in the cases of clothes, they can be called Okirika while thrift electronics are called Belgium.
Some of the items you might expect to see as fairly used secondhand foreign items include;
- Clothing items like baby wear, shirts, jackets, underwear, jeans, caps, sweaters, etc.
- Accessories not limited to wristwatches, bags, shoes and sandals
- Phones especially iPhones and Samsungs
- Laptops
- Device Accessories like laptop and phone chargers, headsets, etc
- Books
- Electronic appliances like gas cookers, irons, blenders, extensions, washing machines, etc
- Cars
There are no limits and you can even find fairly used airplanes and tractors as foreign used. Our focus in this article however is on the clothing items and accessories.
Bonus: A lot of people have found forgotten Dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling notes as well as coins in their Okrika clothes and books so the next time you buy one, you might have to talk to your stars for luck.
Where To Buy Thrift Clothes In Bulk In Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos is the hub of importation in Nigeria and you will always expect to see containers filled with bales of clothing flooding inside.
If you are someone who is looking to go into the thrift clothes business or simply buy for your personal use, some of the places you might want to look at include;
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Jiji.ng
The reason I put Jiji.ng number one on my list is that I don’t know what clothing you are looking for. You can just visit the site and type in exactly what you want and you will get it.
It is also interesting because you can order from outside Lagos State. I however recommend you confirm the quality of your orders before you make payments.
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Social Media
There are a lot of pages that sell thrift clothes on social media. They are not hard to find but you have to make sure they are legitimate.
You can go on Facebook or Instagram and search for thrift wear and there are a couple of groups you can join.
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Popular Markets
Almost every popular market in Lagos has an Okrika session and you can ask people who are familiar with it.
A lot of these markets are rough and disorganised so going as a newcomer will not be advised. Reach out to a friend or colleague based in the state and have them direct you.
Some of these markets include;
- Arena Market (located inside the Nigerian Army Shopping Arena)
- Katangua Market
- Okrika Arena
- Akube Stores
- Yaba Thrift Store
A lot of people also buy from neighbouring countries like Togo and Benin Republic. This is however not an easy option as you will have the customs to deal with.
Conclusion
The thrift business is one you can start with as little as ₦30,000 and scale with time. The foreign used clothes have an interesting fashion appeal and with the growing Western culture in the African world, a lot of people adopt the culture and dressings too.
It is however a sensitive business and if not done properly can result in losses. Nobody would want to order stocks they will not be able to resell so it is advised you do your proper research.
