Rock Thrift is a local online business whose website just went live in February. It was founded by senior finance major Liam Meyers, whose goal is to provide students with a place to donate and purchase clothes at a reasonable price.
“It promotes sustainability, affordability and student connections through shared resources,” Meyers said.
Rock Thrift also offers furniture, decor and accessories. Inventory resides with Meyers in his apartment.
Items on the website are organized by type of apparel. There, students may browse and purchase clothes. If they live within six miles of SRU, shipping is free.
The majority of items are $2-10. Those who donate earn $1 in store credit for each item, unlike commercial thrift stores like Goodwill where there is no reward.
“Donations are collected for free…all [students] have to do is fill out a pickup form at the bottom of the [web]site,” Meyers said.
He claimed that social media also plays a large role in engaging with the community, and urged interested parties to follow @RockThrift_SRU on Instagram to learn about new arrivals and promotions.
Meyers was inspired to start the business when neighbors left “piles of unwanted items in the hallway for people to take.”
“It made me realize that people always have things they no longer need but often don’t take the time to get rid of them,” he said. “Rock Thrift was built on the idea of making that process easier by offering a free service to collect these items, and listing them on the website at discounted prices for other students.”
The business is also working on potential partnerships with fraternities, sororities and clubs.
“I’d prefer not to specify which ones just yet, as plans are still in progress,” Meyers said. “However, we’re actively reaching out for potential collaborations and look forward to planning events in the near future.”
