Nice selection of thrift store clothing that is in good shape. I think they are selective about…read morewhat they accept. I find the quality and prices very good AND it's a registered charity; part of the Big Sisters/Brothers organization so proceeds are going to an excellent cause. They now have a small housewares section but don't have room for big items like furniture. I do make sure this place is on my list when I'm on the hunt for something. Ample free parking and close to other shopping on Merivale.

Thrive Select Thrift Store is a thrift store that sells clothing and accessories, and 100% of their…read moreprofits go to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ottawa. I like that the impacts of donations and purchases stay local. And organizations that help kids always have my support. The clothing at Thrive appears to be geared towards youth and so skews on the younger side, in my opinion. The racks are filled with brands like Old Navy, Garage, and Ardene. Prices are cheaper than places like Value Village. They had some new items like Funko Pops and Squishmallows, while I was there, but I guess these depend on donations, perhaps these were from a business (?) They also had some used video games and controllers. They also have (new) Big Brothers and Big Sisters merchandise. Staff are friendly. I believe that many of them are volunteers. They are located in the Emerald Plaza. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

I have shopped there many times, they have great stuff like new. It's a very clean place Great…read moreexperience overall.

From the owner: All our products are fully tested and sanitized, we offer New and really good condition items…read more Clothes, Shoes, accessories, electronic and more.

Great for Home Decor and books. The service is non existent. The value is great tho. But be ready…read moreto look and look for a while.

Whoever does the window displays in this store must have been inspired by New York's fifth avenue…read more The diplays change often according to the season and the holiday, whether Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Remembrance Day, Hallwe'en etc. Inside is an excellent selection of donated items for sale, run by cheerful and dedicated staff. Everything from clothing to furniture to books to dishes. Prices, as you might expect, are excellent and a real plus to anyone living on a reduced income, but also just a great store to browse in anyway to find something that can find a second life somewhere else.

This little thrift store is hidden behind Nate's Deli, in that old run down bingo hall sitting on…read moreMerivale Road. I pass it quiet frequently and always wanted to stop in, but it was never on the top of my priority list, especially with so many other thrift stores on that street. I had some Christmas items that I wanted to donate, and thought, this is my chance to check out Bibles for Missions. I could tell just from stepping up to the donation door that they bombarded with donations. The donation door was wide open and there were a couple of workers in the back, no greeting, acknowledgment, or thank you, so I plopped my donation down and decided to check out the store. The first thing that I noticed were the signs placed in the entrance "please leave big purses and bags at cash, we reserve the right to search your bag," and so on. Maybe there has been a lot of theft? Not sure, but it did not give me a friendly first impression. No greeting, or acknowledgment throughout the 15 minutes browsing the store, but there were plenty of staff on the sales floor for customer assistance/questions. I did not find that there was a great selection, it was like walking through grandmas basement. Nothing caught my eye here, and I was not "wowed" by anything in particular. What stands out about this thrift store than others, is that it is mostly volunteers, and the majority of the profit goes towards their partnership with the bible league of Canada. More information found on their website: http://www.bfmottawa.com/about-us Would I go back? Only to donate, not to shop.

Definitely the best thrift store in the city! Lots of quality merchandise at great prices…read more The store is well laid out and the staff are super helpful.

Last week, I experienced a disheartening situation while attempting to donate a sizable collection…read moreof gently used and brand new baby clothes. During the process, the individual responsible for collecting the donations made me uncomfortable by physically touching my back and opening my bag without my permission. He proceeded to inform me that certain items were not accepted, prompting me to select specific pieces to keep or discard. This interaction felt extremely disrespectful; it is inappropriate to rummage through someone's belongings in front of others, especially when the act of donating should be respected and appreciated. The way donations are handled is crucial, as it reflects the organization's values towards those who contribute. Instead of maintaining a judgemental atmosphere, management should foster a culture of gratitude and respect for the generosity of the donors. It was embarrassing to be put on the spot, as the person collecting donations seemed entirely unaware of what items might be valuable to others. Each piece we donate comes from a place of care, having been cleaned and sorted from our basements and garages with the intention of helping those in need. I left feeling disheartened and reconsidering where to take my donations in the future. Perhaps I will opt for the Salvation Army instead of Valley Village, where there seems to be greater respect for the act of giving. It is essential to recognize that volunteers and staff should connect with donors positively and meaningfully, as they are the backbone of many charitable organizations. Policies must be re-evaluated to ensure they promote goodwill and appreciation for generosity, rather than creating an uncomfortable environment that drives people away. Donors deserve to feel valued and their contributions acknowledged, rather than subjected to the embarrassment of having their items scrutinized. This is a call for a more thoughtful approach to donation collection, one that encourages community members to give freely and joyfully, knowing their contributions will be met with gratitude. All employee need seriously training plus management rude they don't answer your question This employee they hate the job because the management

Hardly leave reviews but AVOID this location. On one occasion, we were followed by a very…read moreaggressive security guard who tried to kick my friend out for not wearing a bra, although she was fully covered. He claimed it was because she was underage and other customers were uncomfortable, but the store was empty and the guard was uncomfortably staring at her chest- again, nothing was actually visible and everything was covered. On another, they tried to sell a friend's skateboard she had left out front (nowhere near the donation box) for maybe 5 minutes before they brought it in for pricing. Skateboards are usually not allowed in stores, so she left it outside out of respect, and multiple staff saw her with it before we came in. She was only able to get it back because I had multiple pictures of her with/on it and another customer who saw the whole thing go down backed us up. Prices are high (45$ for a pair of visibly used jeans, 30$ for regular, well-worn rain boots) and lots of stained or damaged items. I completely understand retail jobs are hard, and shoplifting is frequent lately so extra security makes sense, but too many folks here are unnecessarily rude.

Way too overpriced, my friend bought seven small item's and it added up to a total of $32.69 and…read morethey taxed them twice. Rude manager. People come here to shop if they don't receive a high salary, but the pricing is the same as any other store, they price it like everything is new. Everything is donated it's not like they buy it from a company and price it for more, they get everything for free. If they price everything lower it's not like they're losing money because they did not buy any of the thing's they sell. The receipt and a few of the items my friend bought attached. These small things should not even be this much. The tax at the bottom, they taxed my friend two times, 8% and 5% which still adds to 13%, so why not just write the 13% and tax once.

I was shopping at the Value Village location on Merivale in Ottawa on July 8, 2025. I filled 2 bags…read moreof baby/toddler clothes for $12.99 each that were just put out from the wire bins. All clothes were size newborn to size 3, and did not include outerwear or dresses, that I was told were excluded. At the cash, an employee dumped the bags and went through all the pieces 1 by 1. She removed approximately 10 items for no good reason. Saying they should have been priced individually. 1 item was a pair of Sears pink corduroy overalls in an infant size. Another item was a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt size 2. All this happened after waiting in a lineup of over 30 people and a shortage of staff. I should have left it all. I'm reporting this to the Better Business Bureau. Staff are just making up random reasons why baby clothes cannot be in the bag. I don't plan to shop here again.

The Alta Vista Drive outlet is my go-to because it is closest to where I live. I refuse to go to…read moreValue Village across the street as they are a for-profit organization and their prices are outrageous for a thrift store. However having said that, I have to say there are a few problems with this one. There is no handicap parking near it; nor are people in wheelchairs, walkers or moms with toddlers in strollers able to maneuver through the entrance without difficulty or hurting themselves, or damaging their valuable mobility devices. It is anything but handicap friendly. The staff are wonderful, friendly and helpful but the store is set up that even with a walker I cannot walk around the store without obstacles at every turn. Aisles that are not wide enough or merchandise on the floor preventing anyone from steering around them without ending up falling. I have also noticed in the last year that the prices are skyrocketing to near Value Village prices!!! How does this help the poor and disabled who are trying to make ends meet? The auctions are fun, but lately I've noticed that there are some serious outside or inside bidders that will overbid so high that it is impossible for the average person to bid on things. As well, you cannot even look at these items for auction until 2 days before. I suspect a lot of these things are either going to staff themselves or to a "consignment shop" and the owners are inflating the price further and pocketing the cash. They have tried numerous designs to the stores layout but none seem to work and the same problems occur over and over. It's really too bad because as I said, the staff are awesome and hard working. But whoever manages this thrift store should really move on into retail as their pricing is way too high for this type of establishment.

This Salvation Army is an okay thrift store. The sections are well organized and they occasionally…read morehave good clothing for very fair prices. However, when I come in, I usually go straight for their knick knack selection because they often have unique items. If you're still clinging to the medium like I am, they also have a large collection of VHS. I managed to find a copy of Deliverance (yesss!) here last time I went and I've picked up a couple other titles in the past. If you're in a thrift store mood, there's also a Value Village across the street.

It's large, it's clean. The people are really nice, they'll help you with anything that you need…read more Also great prices and amazing clothing!

Decent enough IF whatever is causing the mildew-ish smell on items was dealt with. The smell…read morepermeates items, which is ok for clothes since they can be washed but things like bags , well, the scent is so strong, that you may have to throw the item out.