Seward secondhand store sees boost as back-to-school shopping starts early

SEWARD, Neb. (KLKN) — Back-to-school shopping is beginning earlier than usual this year as prices rise and more people seek out deals.

Some parents are looking at secondhand shops to save some cash.

Robin Mackey has worked at The Second Closet, a consignment shop in Seward, for over a decade and said people are stopping in earlier this year.

The Second Closet’s back-to-school sales started around the Fourth of July.

The National Retail Federation reports that shopping has started early out of concern that prices at major retailers will go up due to tariffs and inflation.

“We’re seeing that more and more kids like to shop for themselves, and the parents like the savings that they get,” Mackey said.

Mackey said the store carries many name brands and also has new clothing that shoppers have bought elsewhere but didn’t want to return.

So the store is able to sell items from retailers like Scheels and Amazon at more reasonable prices for families.

“Scheels is very expensive to shop for, and all that stuff, so we get those clothes in here,” she said.

Mackey said her store is also benefitting from the closure of big box stores.

“We’ve had a lot of stores that have shut down, and we’re getting the same type of clothes here,” she said. “We have a lot of people come from Lincoln that have heard about us, and they’re just so shocked that we have this much.”

Mackey said The Second Closet’s success is in part because it caters to the whole family.

This year so far, jeans and boy’s clothes have been the best sellers.