We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Noah Mowery. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Noah below.

Noah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I believe that most people running vintage or secondhand clothing stores like mine generally agree that we’re doing more than just selling vintage clothes. Without gatekeeping or driving nonsense clothing fads, we’re shifting customers away from fast fashion filled with disingenuous trend cycles to a closet filled with a blend of timeless and unique pieces. In almost six years of running this business, I have seen more people shop for thrifted clothes instead of shopping for fast fashion online or going to stores at the mall. Even if this means fewer finds for me or finds to sell on my website, it makes me so happy to see thrifting become more normalized as an incredible way to build an eclectic closet and a personal style identity.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Noah Mowery, and I am a full-time college student who runs a secondhand clothing business called The Thrifting Tree. As an online thrift store, The Thrifting Tree’s mission is to curate the best selection of vintage clothing for our customers. In doing so, we also aim to provide all items at low prices comparable to thrift stores customers are used to shopping at. This mission stems from being young and wanting to dress fashionably without spending too much money. I started my company by going to thrift stores in middle school and picking out budget-friendly fashionable items for myself so I didn’t have to spend money at the mall. Not only was this usually my only option at this age, but I also had more unique outfits than anyone at school because some items were vintage. My friends noticed and would eventually pay me to go thrift cool items in their sizes for them. This system led to a business model I created back then to sell vintage clothes online, which is still how I operate with The Thrifting Tree. There have been may changes over my six years in business, but the core values of the company remain the same.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

In July of 2023, I rebranded my company and Instagram from my previous name, 330thrifted, to its current name, The Thrifting Tree. This came with my move from Medina, Ohio, to Cleveland, Ohio, and a massive aesthetic shift in the type of clothing I wanted to carry. I now focus more on earth-tone colors and outfit building with my pieces rather than vintage clothing that is way higher in price because of the hype surrounding it. This rebrand was incredibly scary as an entrepreneur, but it was necessary and has created opportunities for me that would’ve only been possible with this additional focus on my branding and marketing. This has included more than doubling my social media following, creating and maintaining a successful website, being asked to do interviews online, and receiving opportunities at school to help other small businesses through leadership and project management roles. As scary as it was to rebrand everything about my business, it most definitely was worth it.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Since my rebrand last year, fostering brand loyalty with new ideas I’ve implemented has been way more manageable. First, being a college student has helped my business significantly. I can advertise myself through word of mouth and friends who shop with me in ways that others who sell vintage clothing can not. Being at my university for over two and a half years has garnered plenty of customers in my age demographic who love vintage clothing and enjoy being loyal customers and friends. But even if living on a college campus wasn’t a factor, rebranding my social media allowed me to utilize tools I had never used before to reach new customers. Instagram reels, TikTok, and a website that offers sales and promo codes to returning customers have all been simple new tricks to help me build a great network of customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: thethriftingtree.com
• Instagram: @thethriftingtree
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahmowery

Image Credits
Noah Mowery