Portage MCC Thrift Shop anchors a stretch of Saskatchewan Avenue East in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, where three connected storefronts operate under one nonprofit banner run by Mennonite Central Committee. As the largest and longest-operating secondhand store in the city, it has become a fixture for residents hunting for affordable clothing, furniture, electronics, toys, sporting goods, camping gear, gardening supplies, and hardware, much of it donated by community members and resold to fund MCC’s international relief, development, and peacebuilding work around the world. The main Thrift Shop, located at 149 Saskatchewan Avenue East, is joined next door by Furniture Plus at 131, which houses a dedicated quilt and fabric boutique called The Common Thread, and by a third location, East 135, at number 135. Together the trio functions almost like a small secondhand shopping district, letting a single visit cover clothing racks, home furnishings, and fabric supplies without needing to drive across town.
Shoppers can browse the flagship Thrift Shop Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening, and on Saturdays from 9:30 until 4 in the afternoon, giving working families and weekend browsers alike a reliable window to stop in. Because the store is affiliated with MCC, a global relief and development organization, it holds a designation as a Fair Trade Workplace, a distinction not every secondhand retailer in rural Manitoba can claim, and one that reflects a broader commitment to ethical sourcing and labor practices that extends beyond the sales floor. Every purchase, whether it is a used bookshelf, a winter coat, or a box of assorted kitchenware, contributes directly to MCC programming that supports vulnerable communities internationally, turning an ordinary thrifting trip into a small act of global solidarity.
What sets Portage MCC Thrift Shop apart from a typical donation-bin resale operation is the depth of its customer programs. The store runs ThriftReward$, a loyalty program that lets regular shoppers earn and redeem points whether they are browsing the physical aisles or shopping through the store’s own online platform, which ships secondhand finds worldwide around the clock. That online storefront means a rare vintage collectible spotted by a Portage la Prairie local might just as easily end up shipped to a collector overseas, extending the shop’s reach well past the borders of the city. The store also leans into seasonal promotions, including a Boxing Week sale that draws bargain hunters in the slow week between Christmas and New Year, and periodic renovation-driven clearance events, such as a recent offer of 30 percent off when customers buy two or more qualifying items.
Community giving runs through the shop’s calendar as well. Special fundraiser days periodically direct a portion of proceeds to local causes, including one recent event benefiting Portage Services for Seniors, reinforcing the store’s role as more than a retail outlet but as an active participant in the town’s civic life. Volunteers make much of this possible, sorting donations, staffing the till, and keeping the sales floor organized, and the organization continues to recruit new volunteers eager to support MCC’s mission while gaining hands-on retail experience.
For anyone in Portage la Prairie looking to furnish an apartment, find a costume for a school play, stock a garden shed, or simply hunt for a deal on gently used goods, the combined Thrift Shop, Furniture Plus, and East 135 locations on Saskatchewan Avenue East offer one of the most established secondhand shopping destinations in the region. Portage MCC Thrift Shop is Portage la Prairie’s largest and longest-running secondhand store, a Mennonite Central Committee-run nonprofit whose thrift, furniture, and fabric shops turn everyday donations into funding for relief and development work worldwide.
