Digital Thrifting: How and Why to Use Pre-Loved Fashion Outlets to Grab the Best Deals

With a few infamous and ultra-cheap online global retailers now advertising to the South African audience, a lot of local shoppers have been indulging in the ‘too-good-to-be-true’ offerings to save a few pennies, but that’s all about to change.

SARS is implementing new tax legislation to clamp down on these retailers, but the biggest crime (so to speak) is that shoppers are often getting vastly inferior and even fake items as opposed to the ones advertised. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Trying to score a great deal this way is not always best, and after the duties and additional costs, getting a lacklustre product is not worth the effort. Hence why digital thrifting from reputable and high-quality retailers is the way to go. Not only do you get well-known brands or high-quality items like genuine leather or one-of-a-kind collections, but you’re also giving back to the sustainability of pre-loved fashion.

The trend is therefore shifting to digital thrifting, where many shoppers around the globe are ditching the poor quality and dollar-store pricing for fashion with substance, shopping on the likes of Vinted and Thrifted — two beloved stores that sell incredible pre-loved fashion. Whether it’s a classic biker jacket or a unique pair of rare sneakers, you can pick up some incredible deals with full confidence in what you’re buying.

And we know what you’re thinking: ‘that can be expensive’. Not really, as the prices are affordable even from a South African perspective, and throw in some great sales and discounts, and you can pick up a steal of a deal for less than a new t-shirt, plus you’re getting good quality clothing. You’d rather be a used Audi or BMW than a no-name brand car, right?

Furthermore, by grabbing such good deals on great quality items, and with the lower price, the import fees are far more reasonable. And, of course, while some of these stores only ship to the UK or US, you can use Postbox Courier to South Africa. You can get your hands on anything your heart desires, irrespective of shipping constraints.

Create a free account

All you need to do is sign-up with Postbox Courier and you’ll get your own personal address allocated to you in the US, UK, or other regional depots, then allowing you to use that address when purchasing from US, UK, or other international stores. If they only ship locally in the UK or US, well, you now have a local address — winning! Postbox Courier will then forward the parcel(s) from your remote depot to your doorstep in South Africa.

You’ll also be able to save money, and this is because parcel forwarding companies like Postbox Courier often have local and international courier partners, allowing for the best rates for express shipping, something individual shops won’t be able to offer you.

Pssst, parcel consolidation saves you money

On top of getting items you wouldn’t usually have access to, Postbox Courier also offers parcel consolidation. This is extremely beneficial for people who shop with multiple retailers or want to bundle a number of international orders into one larger package, in order to save costs doing multiple shipments.

Postbox Courier offers free package consolidation, which is even better and then just leaves you with the singular shipping cost alone.

So, if you have your heart set on something you can’t buy without a US shipping address, then check out Postbox Courier, sign-up for free, and get your dedicated address in New York, London, or in many other key spots around the world. Then, you can shop, ship your goods there, and pay based on your orders to get the items back to South Africa.