At a new thrift shop and social hub opening in Fyshwick this Saturday, Canberrans will be able to hunt for affordable clothes and learn to repair or upcycle them over a cuppa.

Thrift Hub Canberra will “give the community a safe space and somewhere to shop affordably”, owner Rachael Hopkins said.

Ms Hopkins, an RAAF veteran, has documented her visits to op shops on social media since 2023. More than 1,600 people follow her Instagram account, @thethrifthub.canberra, where she posts reviews and shares her finds and shopping hauls.

“I used it as a type of therapy, getting a dopamine boost every time I found a treasure,” Ms Hopkins said

“It blew up, and I just thought, ‘This is something I could do’.”

Thrift Hub will sell second-hand clothing, bric-à-brac, glassware, toys and homewares. Adult clothing will cost no more than $10 and children’s clothes $2.

“A lot of people are finding it difficult to put clothes shopping into their essentials at the moment, when food and fuel are so expensive,” Ms Hopkins said. “People don’t prioritise clothing, but when they come to a thrift shop, they can because it’s so affordable.”

Unlike conventional op shops, it has a lounge and activity area where visitors can repair or repurpose clothing and upcycle items. Damaged clothing might be repaired or reused as fabric or rags instead of discarded, and old denim transformed into bags.

“People have said that they’re really interested in that social side aspect of it,” Ms Hopkins said. “Most op shops and thrift shops in the area are just a shop. People often want to stop and chat to the volunteers, but they don’t have time. So this gives like-minded people a place to come together.”

Ever since she received the keys four weeks ago, Ms Hopkins says visitors have turned up, and more than 1,000 people have expressed interest in the opening event.

“Even when this was an empty shop, I had people rocking up just to have a look and check it out,” Ms Hopkins said.

Many people have donated items, including clothes from brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Sass & Bide.

“It helps keep things out of landfill,” Ms Hopkins said, “so people aren’t just dumping things when they’re clearing out their houses or moving. They are dropping it here, and it’s circulating within the community.”

Thrift Hub is partnering with four local charities: Lids4Kids; Rise Above – Capital Region Cancer Relief; Toora Women Inc, which helps people impacted by homelessness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, or who have been released from prison; and HOME in Queanbeyan, which houses 20 people with mental illness who would otherwise be homeless.

 Ms Hopkins chose Rise Above after a friend died from brain cancer in April.

“That was a big blow, and I wanted to do something to honour her,” Ms Hopkins said.

Thrift Hub Canberra opens at 10am on Saturday 15 August at Unit 4, 116–118 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Free refreshments will be available while supplies last.