Frequently Asked Questions

The Salvation Army in Canada owns and operates all Salvation Army Thrift Stores and has done so for more than 100 years.  In urban communities across Canada, the majority of Thrift Stores are overseen by The Salvation Army National Recycling Operations (NRO). Those not operated by NRO are overseen by Salvation Army ministries such as the local church or Family Services.

Also, as a non-profit organization, the funds raised by our stores through the sales of the donations we receive from our generous community members, outside of our administrative expenses, go towards supporting local Salvation Army programs and services. These include financial assistance to those in need, access to foodbanks, shelters for people experiencing homelessness, emergency disaster relief and crisis support, as well as a voucher program which allows individuals and families in need to shop for items in our stores free of charge.

 By providing monetary support through our initiatives, we help The Salvation Army to achieve its mission by having a positive influence within the communities in which we operate.

Please contact The Salvation Army Family and Community Services in your area to find out how they can help you. We also encourage you to visit The Salvation Army Canada’s website for a location near you.

Our participating Thrift Store locations offer a 30-day exchange on Clothing, Footwear, Bedding & Linens with receipt and price tag attached. All other items including Featured Finds are final sale. Guests also have the option to request a store credit at the time of exchange which will be provided in the form of a Gift Card.

We are happy to advise you that we do offer Gift Cards for purchase at all of our 95 Thrift Store locations! The Gift Cards are rechargeable and can be found by the front of the cash. They can also be redeemed at any of our participating locations.

In addition to offering no tax on most items, we offer 10% off for seniors, 15% to Student Price Card (SPC) Members, various in-store promotions, and exclusive offers to our email subscribers. To join our online thrifty community and begin taking advantage of these savings, please sign-up for our emails.

Plus, use our #IFoundThis hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok for a chance to win $25 OFF your next thrift haul! Learn more and see what our thrifters have found across the country on our I Found This page.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store provides valuable savings by following standardized price points which are a true reflection of current standards and practices in both charitable and for-profit organizations. Our pricing standards take into account factors such as quality and condition, seasonality, brand name, uniqueness and rarity.  

Please also know that although donated items are free, as an organization we have expenses such as paid staff, rent, utilities, property tax, insurance, and trucking expenses. After expenses, the proceeds we generate support The Salvation Army’s many social programs, such as children’s camps, food banks and shelters for people experiencing homelessness. 

Featured Finds are considered exceptional items, collectables or other one-of-a-kind finds that are showcased in glass cabinets or kept behind the cash counter. These items are considered final sale and cannot be combined with any promotion or offer.

While we cannot verify the authenticity of items such as Featured Finds on the sales floor, we strive to ensure transparency by conducting thorough research considering the item’s brand name, uniqueness, and rarity, which is then compared to price points offered by other charitable and for-profit organizations. We also encourage our Guest to make their own assessments and informed decisions prior to purchasing these items.

We love our seniors and offer 10% off daily at our participating Thrift Store locations to every guest aged 60 years and older. Please note that this discount cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. 

We offer members of the Student Price Card (SPC) program a 15% discount off their purchase upon presenting their card. Please note this discount cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.

Visit the SPC website for more information on SPC cards and eligibility.

We offer no tax* on most items!

*Some restrictions apply. See in-store for details or contact our Guest Services Department at
guestservices@salvationarmy.ca or by calling 1.855.98.GUEST (1.855.984.8378).

When we receive electronic items, our staff test them prior to placing them on the salesfloor to ensure that they are operational. However, we do understand that gently used electronic items may fail after testing, as such we also encourage our Guests to test the items in store at our available Electronic Testing Stations and/or outlets prior to purchase of these items at their own discretion.

Electronic items that may no longer be fully functional are often purchased for parts by our Guests – the power of repurposing in our stores is endless!

To apply for employment opportunities as they become available at our stores, please visit our Careers page and email your resume to the email address on the job posting you are interested in. Applications can also be given in person to the Store’s Management team for further discussion. For store details, please visit our Locations page.

To apply for volunteer opportunities at our locations, please visit our Volunteer Page to download our Volunteer Registration Form. This form should be filled out and taken into the store and given to any member of the Store’s Management team for further discussion. For store details, please visit our Locations page.