Skyrocketing thrift shopping prices drive surge in demand at free clothing banks [Video]

SEATTLE — This winter, free clothing banks are experiencing unprecedented demand, driven by a combination of inflation, rising thrift store prices and the growing online resale market.

At Clothesline, a free clothing bank operated by the West Seattle Food Bank, it’s not unusual for 600 items of clothing to fly off the shelves on any given day.

Despite looking like a typical thrift store, Clothesline operates on a completely free model, with all items coming from community donations.

The organization now distributes ten times more clothing than it did five years ago, according to Development Director Robbin Peterson.

“As soon as we get a coat into this building, it’s gone that day,” Peterson said. “We’re just going through them as fast as possible.”

The surge in demand coincides with significant changes in the secondhand clothing …