Exactly eight years ago today, Sherry and I left New York City and moved to Richmond, Virginia. Outside of the small towns where we grew up, Richmond is the longest place either of us has ever lived — and it’s the only hometown Clara has ever known. To mark the occasion, we wanted to celebrate this city we love and answer one of the questions we get most often: “When in Richmond, which thrift and discount stores should I visit?”
Three years ago, for our fifth anniversary, we shared a short post listing our “Five Richmond Top Fives,” which only named two thrift shops. Since then we’ve discovered more haunts, activities, and eateries, so we put together a more thorough guide — complete with an interactive map and a suggested itinerary (because I can’t resist a good visual).
Richmond has been getting national attention lately, named The Best River Town in America and included on Frommer’s list of top destinations, so our eighth anniversary felt like the perfect time to break things down for visitors and locals alike.
We’ve embedded an interactive map showing a dozen of our favorite thrift and discount stores in Richmond (green dots), plus a selection of recommended places to eat (blue dots) and other things to do (red dots). Click any dot for more information — descriptions, hours, and tips about what you’ll find. If you can’t see the map, try opening it directly in Google Maps.
Below is a sample itinerary that focuses on thrift and discount shopping. It doesn’t list every food option or every non-shopping activity that appears on the map, but you can click those locations for more details.
Start near the city center and choose to travel clockwise or counter-clockwise around the map — we’ll describe a counter-clockwise route here. A good first stop is Sugar Shack Donuts to fuel up; many thrift shops don’t open until 9 or 10 a.m., so you’ll have time to enjoy a coffee and a donut before shopping. Note that several stores are closed on Sundays, Mondays, or Tuesdays, so plan accordingly if you want to pack in as many stops as possible.
Our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a reliable first stop for donated building materials and fixtures. If furniture and accessories are your focus, head to Diversity Thrift — we’ve found many treasures there over the years, including a glass-and-metal table we’ve kept with plans to refinish for our porch someday.
Next, head north on I-95 to Lakeside Avenue, where several thrift and antique shops cluster. Consignment Connection is worth a stop — it’s a maze of small rooms that mix antiques and thrifted goods, and it’s where Sherry found her beloved whale globe.
If you want upcycled furniture or inspiration for revamping finds, make the short drive to Ashland to visit Thrill of the Hunt. They specialize in creative, made-over pieces and have a great selection of refurbished furniture.
On the return trip, stop at Class and Trash for vintage and shabby-chic items, including metal signs and letters — it’s fun to browse and find small and large unique pieces. If you need lunch, Short Pump has good options: Burgerworks is a casual pick-your-own-toppings burger joint (I always add a fried egg), while Burger Bach offers a New Zealand-style gastropub experience if you’re after something more elevated.
Continue south on I-288 toward the river, making a detour to HOPE Thrift, a newer shop on our radar that’s already produced a few neat finds. Once you reach Midlothian Turnpike, you’ll be in a main corridor of thrift stores. Start small at RAL Reuse, which supports the Richmond Animal League, and then stop into Urban Farmhouse for coffee and design inspiration — they have a great aesthetic and a downtown location if you’re pressed for time.
Further along Midlothian is a Salvation Army Family Center that’s heavy on furniture, followed by The Decorating Outlet — not a thrift store, but full of discounted lighting, rugs, and furnishings. We’ve scored many lights and even a deeply discounted kitchen table there.
Near the end of this route is our top local thrift source for furniture: Love of Jesus Thrift Store on Midlothian. They consistently have a large selection, and we found several book-project pieces there, including a dresser we painted in a gradient that we still use today. Across the street, Family Thrift Center can be surprisingly fruitful — we recently found an inexpensive headboard that turned out to be a great score.
If you have extra time, check out Caravati’s, an architectural salvage shop where prices are higher but the finds are unique and inspiring. When the stores close, Proper Pie Company is a great place for dinner and dessert — they offer both savory and sweet pies and also provide plenty of vintage decor inspiration.
Admittedly, trying to visit all these spots in a single day is ambitious, especially if you enjoy lingering over thrifted treasures or savoring meals. You might want to spread the route over a weekend — or, alternatively, consider moving here permanently. Either option works.
What about your town? Where are the best thrifting spots near you? Wouldn’t it be great to have a city-by-city, user-rated database of thrift stores with printable maps so visitors could easily plan a route? If that already exists, point us to it — otherwise, someone should build it.