El Thrift Store officially opened on October 31st, 2025, bringing a unique and welcoming shopping experience to East Haven, located at 218 Main Street. Nadine Maté, the owner of El Thrift Store, created a business for everyone to enjoy. Nadine made it her goal to create a Puerto-Rican, Woman, and LGBTQ+ owned store that stands out.
Nadine went through a 6 month process to turn her dreams into reality. She had to consider the location, name, the concept, and where to get materials. The process to set up the store took about 3 months. Her inspiration to open up this business came from her feelings about the current state of the world and how negative it can be. “I wanted to create a space where people [could] come together and express themselves,” Nadine said. “The world is full of hate and I wanted to make people feel comfortable.”
El Thrift Store sells a wide variety of items, such as clothes, shoes, accessories, home goods, books, and more. “I sell a little bit of everything,” Nadine says.“I also support local businesses if they are interested in selling their work.” Candles, jewelry, and other products are being sold from different local businesses.
Like many thrift stores, El Thrift Store focuses on affordability and sustainability by repurposing secondhand items and selling them at affordable prices. “With the state of the world and how expensive it is, I wanted to sell items at an affordable and reasonable price,” Nadine stated, “Everything in the store ranges from $0.25 to about $60.” The store receives everything from donations. To donate, you can simply walk in and drop anything off that you are willing to donate. Nadine offers 20% off of your purchase the same day when you donate items. Thrift stores are a great eco-friendly way to save money and prevent items from ending up in landfills. Nadine said, “I’m just trying to repurpose everything I can.”
Customers visiting the store can expect a welcoming and creative atmosphere filled with colorful and unique displays. The shop has quickly become a place where people can shop and connect with others who share similar interests.
Aside from the experience you get from shopping, Nadine also holds events such as “fill a bag,” a book club, and she hopes to start trivia nights. She is looking for other events to host as well. Fill a bag events are hosted once every month. Customers receive a bag and can fill it with selected items for only $15. A book club meets the first Sunday of every month where people are welcome to come in and talk about the selected book of the month while enjoying snacks and drinks. Details for the events can be found on the El Thrift Stores’ social media pages and at the store.
Lastly, Nadine’s advice to anyone who is interested in starting their own business is, “It is a very scary process, but just do it because it is worth it in the end,” Nadine said. She encourages people to not let the fear of it stop you from going through with the process, “Be proud of how scared you are and just do it.”
