Thrift stores near Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a city of remodels, moves and closet clean-outs, yet it has no charity thrift shop inside its own borders. Retail rents are high and our directory lists no traditional thrift store in town. The good news is that the nearest charity shops are close. Downtown Menlo Park is five minutes north and downtown Los Altos is ten minutes south. Each has a thrift boutique run for the American Cancer Society. Redwood City has a large Savers and San Jose has a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for furniture and building materials.

This guide covers those stores, explains where your money and donations go and gives tips for both buying and giving. We confirmed every store on its own website or its organization's store page in late October 2026. For designer resale, estate jewelry and used books inside Palo Alto, see our separate vintage and consignment guide. This page sticks to donation-based thrift.

Thrift stores at a glance

American Cancer Society Discovery Shops

The Discovery Shops are the closest thing the Midpeninsula has to a classic charity boutique. The American Cancer Society describes them as thrift boutiques whose stock reflects the local community. Expect quality clothing, jewelry, home decor and vintage pieces rather than bins of everything. Volunteers sort and price the donations, so the racks change often. Sales support the society's cancer research and patient programs.

Menlo Park

The Menlo Park shop is at 748 Santa Cruz Avenue in the downtown shopping strip, a short drive up El Camino Real from Palo Alto. The American Cancer Society lists hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Street parking and city lots surround Santa Cruz Avenue. Pair a visit with lunch or the rest of the street using our Santa Cruz Avenue guide.

Los Altos

The Los Altos shop is at 243 Main Street in the village downtown. Its posted hours match Menlo Park: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Downtown Los Altos is compact and the public lots behind Main and State streets make it easy to park once and walk. Our downtown Los Altos guide covers the cafes and shops nearby.

Sunnyvale

A third shop sits at 1659 Hollenbeck Road in Sunnyvale. It opens an hour earlier on Tuesdays, at 9 a.m. Otherwise it keeps the same 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekday and Saturday hours with Sunday until 5 p.m. It is worth the extra drive if you are already heading south on Interstate 280 or want to see a different mix of donations.

One rule applies at every Discovery Shop: all sales are final, with no returns or exchanges. Check sizes, zippers and seams before you pay. If you want to donate, call the shop first and ask what it is taking that week, since a boutique-style store has limited back room space.

Savers in Redwood City

For sheer volume, the Savers at 875 Main Street in Redwood City is the big thrift store closest to Palo Alto. Expect long racks of clothing sorted by type and size, plus housewares, books, toys and seasonal goods. It is the place to go when you need a cheap Halloween costume, a set of mismatched mugs for a first apartment or a pile of kids' clothes that will be outgrown by spring.

Savers is clear about its business model. It is a for-profit company and says that shopping in its stores does not support any nonprofit. Donating is different: Savers pays nonprofits for the goods people drop off. At the Redwood City store, donations of used clothing and household items benefit PARCA, according to the store's page. The store also runs a Community Donation Center for drop offs. Savers advertises a members club with sales and a discount on your next purchase when you donate. It also runs a Senior Tuesday discount for shoppers 55 and older. Check the Savers Redwood City page for hours before you go.

Furniture and building materials: Habitat ReStore

Thrift for a house project is harder to find than it used to be. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in San Carlos, which served the Peninsula for years, is permanently closed, according to Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. Its page points donors toward other reuse options instead.

The nearest ReStore now is at 1608 Las Plumas Avenue in San Jose, run by Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores that sell new and gently used furniture, building materials and appliances, with proceeds funding Habitat's home building work. The San Jose store's posted hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with donation drop off and pickup of purchased items from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days. The drive from Palo Alto takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. See the ReStore site for what it accepts. If you plan a big haul, compare rental cars and vans before you go.

Bikes and other specialty reuse

Some secondhand goods have their own channels. Bicycle Exchange Silicon Valley is a volunteer-run nonprofit that refurbishes donated bikes and gives them to people who need transportation. It also sells used bikes and parts. It takes visits by appointment and said in September 2026 that it would likely have to leave its East Bayshore Road building before the end of the year, so check its listing first.

For clothing with resale value, a consignment counter may suit better than a donation bin. Fillmore & 5th at Town & Country Village pays for women's designer pieces. Several brands at Stanford Shopping Center also run trade-in programs. Our vintage and consignment guide explains how those work.

How to donate well

1. Call ahead. Boutique shops like the Discovery Shops have limited space. A quick call saves a wasted trip.
2. Clean and check everything. Launder clothes, wipe down housewares and test anything with a plug or batteries.
3. Ask for a receipt. Donations to nonprofits such as the American Cancer Society or Habitat for Humanity may be tax deductible. Keep the receipt and your own list of what you gave.
4. Sort by destination. Fashion with labels goes to consignment, everyday clothing to a thrift store, furniture to a ReStore and bikes to the Bicycle Exchange.
5. Know what to recycle instead. Stained textiles, broken electronics and old paint do not belong in a thrift store. Our trash and recycling guide covers the city's options.

Tips for thrift shopping

Thrift rewards patience and frequent visits. Go in with a short list but stay open to surprises. Bring measurements for furniture and a tape measure for clothing, since vintage sizes run small. Inspect jewelry clasps and the corners of frames. At the boutique shops, ask volunteers when new stock goes out. Many shops price and put out donations on set days.

Palo Alto's own neighborhoods also hold occasional garage sales and school rummage sales, usually posted on neighborhood lists and community boards. Our guide to volunteering in Palo Alto lists ways to help local nonprofits if you would rather give time than goods.

A thrift loop from Palo Alto

Start at the Menlo Park Discovery Shop when it opens at 10 a.m. Continue north on El Camino Real to Savers in Redwood City for volume shopping and a donation drop. On another day, head south to the Los Altos Discovery Shop and add the Sunnyvale shop on Hollenbeck Road if you want more. Save the San Jose ReStore for a weekend furniture hunt, since it is closed Monday and Tuesday. Back in town, our Palo Alto shopping guide covers the city's own districts.

Frequently asked questions