Thrifty Kitty — Attraction in Alameda

This store has great merchandise for a great cause! But oooohh, clutch the pearls, the staff needs a team meeting about implicit bias, how to use good manners for ALL customers, not just selected ones, and be mindful of their subtly rude treatment toward certain customers. Additionally, a person came in today, Sunday, 6/8/25, and asked the staff to call the police because they were assaulted down the street. Now if you shop here frequently enough, you know the layout of the store and proximity to the public sidewalk/door/register, so it would make sense to see this as a safe space to seek help, right? Sadly, they refused. They not only made some unbelievably ridiculous reason NOT to call the police but proceeded to gossip about it and give rhyme and reason as to why they would not. Between the experiences of some of the staff attitudes and their disregard for customers' feelings and safety, it's a surprise no one has been appropriately corrected post haste. We know better as adults, elders, and volunteer retirees, so no one needs training or forgiveness for behavior they only aim toward some and not others. This selective politeness and selective feeling of welcome will eventually be met with someone having a bad day, too, someone who worked all day, too. C'mon folks, this is not a singular experience that some staff are rude here-subtly and otherwise, so let's be good humans to each other. Kindness and making people feel welcome in your establishment are free, and dopamine surges, while thrifting means more contributions to...

One of the shop keepers was not nice. She seemed peeved to take down a dress on the mannequin for me and asked me if i would even fit this dress. I told her i asked for the size before asking them to take it down. I am a 6 and the dress is a 8. She said it is vintage so its different. I told her i wont try it, if she is implying it wont fit. She told me to try anyway since she already got it off the mannequin.

It fit. But i didnt feel good anymore, so i handed it back to her immediately. It was a light yellow dress perfect for a garden party. When i gave it back to her, she sighed she would need to steam it again. She asked if it fit with much doubt in me. Yes it did fit. But she missed the point.

The point is that all proceeds at this store go to the animal shelter. And I was fat shamed so loudly and repeatedly until I felt shame and embarrassment and put down the dress. Im not even fat. I just went from a 2/4 to a 6 during pandemic.

I am completely disappointed by this interaction with this staff person who is an older larger woman herself.

The other shop staff were friendly. I bought two spoons and noticed...

I love shopping at Thrifty Kitty! The manager, assistant manager, and staff are all so nice and welcoming. They have a good selection of clothes, shoes, handbags, scarves, books, home decor, pet items and lots of fun jewelry and the pricing is very fair. Although the store is a thrift shop, it feels more like a boutique. It is nicely laid out and decorated and they always have a nice seasonal or holiday display at the front of the store. It's such an enjoyable experience just to browse through all the items in the store. They are always accepting donations and I am a frequent donator. The best part about shopping at this store is that all the proceeds go to FAAS (Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter) and it's a good feeling to be helping such a worthy...