Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – Spring is here, which goes hand-in-hand with spring-cleaning. After the ice and snow have gone and the green grass has arrived, it’s a natural inclination to go through your house to declutter and update. A popular and fun way to do this is by combing second-hand stores in the area. Not only can you donate some of your old items, you can also complete your home renewal by adding something recycled, repurposed, or vintage to your home, giving each item a new life.
There are 25,000 resale, consignment, and non-profit thrift stores in the U.S. that took in more than $56 billion in 2025. Whether you’re on a budget, looking for a deal, want to contribute to a nonprofit, or want to reduce the items thrown into the landfills, these stores can help you do all of this. While 16-18% of all consumers shop up-cycled items in person, an amazing 93% shop online, at such sites as eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Clothing, books, and home decor top the list of popular types of items shopped for. As prices go up and tariffs put pricing pressure on imported items, this is a great way to stretch your hard-earned dollars. There are over 429 stores in the state of Tennessee alone, so there are a variety to choose from.
Hot items to look for in 2026 include:
- Mirrors
- Mid-century furniture (dating from the 50’s and 60’s)
- Crafting items
- Vintage lamps
- Retro technology including cassettes and players, film cameras, and retro games
- Cooking utensils and cookware
Two stores you might want to stop by here in Clarksville are The Refinery On The River and Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. Both offer quality thrift collections, but they are run with very different approaches.
The Refinery on Riverside was recently acquired by Kellie and Nathan Crouch. Kellie was long familiar with the store from when she worked on moving Clarksville Wholesale’s location on College Street to the Riverside location. As she says, “I fell in love with the vintage and homemade items in the store”. Hr primary goal is to focus not on inventory, but to cultivate sellers, which puts her store a notch above the others.
I don’t want “vendors just putting items on a shelf”, Kellie states. She is looking for sellers who have his/her hearts in it, and are willing to know how to brand, market, price their goods, and know what a customer is looking for. That’s where she comes in. Occupying a space at the Refinery includes business coaching from Kellie that emphasizes social media, a subject Kellie knows well, and has studied at Austin Peay State University.
Booth packages include normal rent, but also various options and add-ons, such as business planning, logo design, and social media consulting.
Although thrift store customers tend to be young, Kellie says her store attracts both young teens and adults looking for one-of-a-kind pieces, and grandmothers shopping for nostalgic items. Her store draws both vendors and customers from Hopkinsville, Dickson, Springfield and Ashland City.
The store’s niche is vintage and homemade goods. It has undergone extensive remodeling, adding permanent wall space and a new/previous business the Crouch’s owned, called Initially Stitched, which features custom embroidery and screen printing that is done at the store.
The Refinery also has a community room where classes will be developed reflecting what the community wants. Future ideas, Kellie says, can range from business classes to paint and sip events. Also, beginning in May and concluding in September, the first Friday of each month, a Friday night market will take place from 6:00pm-9:00pm, offering food and family events.
Kellie says it this way, “I love Riverside Drive, and the vibe down here. I grew up on this side of the river, and I’m so happy to be doing business here.”
Habitat ReStore Clarksville is not just for the construction trade but offers a wide variety of home goods as well, according to Penny McIntyre, Restore Manager. Unlike other for-profit thrift shops, Penny a former business owner, says it is an eye-opening baptism to run the store without budgeting or sales projections, since every day is different depending on the donations that are brought in.
In fact, Penny has done such a good job at Habitat ReStore, the Clarksville location was chosen as 2025 ReStore of the year for the state of Tennessee. The store is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County.
20% of goods come from corporate donors, such as Orgain Building Supply, and even Federal Express in Nashville. Sources of donated items also include construction supply store closures or remodels. A unique policy for Habitat is that 15% of their inventory can be purchased.
For instance, if they have a large array of paint, it’s a no-brainer to sell painting supplies, such as brushes and drop cloths, alongside. One of their top sellers is Green Sheen, a new line of paint that is made from recycled paint, comes in over 30 colors, and is about half of what you would expect to pay in other home improvement stores.
Furniture is a top-seller, along with home decor such as vases and dishes. A large variety of books are available as the store is the lucky recipient of leftover books from the Clarksville-Montgomery County book sales that take place twice a year. The store’s regular customers tend to be older, while younger shoppers come less frequently.
A community room is available free for non-profits to utilize during the stores’ business hours. Arts for Hearts Clarksville conducts art classes there monthly, and the Tennessee Woodturners conduct their meetings there, which are open to those interested in woodworking. The room can hold from 24 to 40 people, depending on whether tables will be utilized.
Penny says that it is common for customers to ask what the money is used for, and she loves to answer that 100% of the money stays in Montgomery County to build Habitat for Humanity homes.
In fact, you might notice future Habitat homeowners working at the store, cleaning or offering help as part of their sweat equity requirement for ownership. I encourage you to visit each store as part of your spring cleaning routine this year, and to diversify your retail therapy.
The Refinery on Riverside, 1037 South Riverside Drive, Clarksville. Call 931.553.1003. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday 10:00am -6:00pm and Sunday Noon – 5:00pm.
Habitat ReStore Clarksville, 408 Madison Street, Clarksville. Call 931.645.4242. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
