A Colorado thrift chain with a decades-long mission of employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is setting up shop in San Antonio for the first time. Arc Thrift Stores will open its first San Antonio and Texas store at 5776 Stemmons Dr. on October 5, according to conflicting evidence in coverage of the debut, while a separate listing points to a grand opening on Thursday, October 8.
A Denver Nonprofit Makes Its Texas Debut
As reported by CultureMap San Antonio, Arc traces its roots back to 1968, when a group of parents founded the first Denver store to support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit venture has since grown to more than 40 locations across the Southwest and stands as one of Colorado's largest employers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, per the same outlet. Arc says on its own site that about twenty percent of its employees are individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to arcthrift.com.
The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce lists the grand opening of Arc's first Texas location for Thursday, October 8, at its Stemmons Drive storefront — a date that follows the earlier debut listed elsewhere, and the article does not resolve which date marks the store's true opening to the public. Either way, shoppers won't have to wait long to get a look inside: preview events are planned from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from October 5 through October 7, per the CultureMap report.
Arc's Leadership on Mission and Mission-Driven Shopping
Arc president and chief executive Lloyd Lewis said the company is committed to empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through employment opportunities, advocacy, and support. Lewis also said Arc is excited to provide a sustainable and affordable shopping destination as the chain expands into a new state.
Once open, the Stemmons Drive location will offer a wide selection of constantly replenished home goods, the report notes. Shoppers will find 50-percent discounts every Saturday, half-off deals for seniors on Tuesdays, and color tag sales every Wednesday. Regular store hours will run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the same coverage. Elsewhere, Arc says it offers free curbside pickup for large furniture in Colorado, per arcthrift.com.
San Antonio's Growing Secondhand Scene
Arc isn't the only thrift operator eyeing San Antonio shoppers this year. Red White & Blue Thrift Store opened a location at 5722 Walzem Rd. in April, and Goodwill opened a store at 6363 Rittiman Rd. in May. The Rittiman Road store, a 13,282-square-foot conversion of a former Walgreens, created 26 new jobs, according to Goodwill San Antonio. That location held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a public grand opening at 10 a.m., and now operates Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goodwill San Antonio employs more than 1,760 team members and provides no-cost career training and employment placement services, the organization says.
The timing tracks with broader momentum in resale. A ThredUp study cited in the CultureMap report found that thrift shopping has grown to a $56 million market in the U.S. Globally, ThredUp projects the secondhand apparel market will reach $393 billion by 2030, growing twice as fast as the overall apparel market, according to its 2026 Resale Market and Consumer Trend Report. The report also points to technology reducing friction, consumers embedding resale into their financial lives, and brands playing a growing role as forces reshaping the market.
