Do you think charity shops have lost their minds with overpricing items?

[luluxxx]

Been into my local charity shop (not a big city ,just a local area and it’s in a pretty working class area )
Used to be able to get some bargains but today they have two new rails “new with tags “ and a “top brands “ rail.
On the new with tags was a skirt from select (£7 ) the skirt itself was only £14.99
A Primark pair of beach trousers (£6 ) tags were £10
Then on the top brand rail was a clearly used M&S jumper for £8 and a shein dress for £6
Are people really going to pay this ?

No, I didn't 'know that perfectly well.' I'm not a mind reader.

And what does ... 'No charity would even dream of your offering to donate £20 for your buggering "little M&S cardies" mean?

???????

Why are my 'cardies' little and buggering?

What a weird post!

.

What 'costs' can there possibly be for sorting the FREE stock and 'putting it out?'

The staff work for free! 😂

This. ^ No charity shops I know of, ever washes, dries, and irons all the clothes that come in.

People are just trying to find as many reasons as possible for the extortionate prices many of them charge for the SECOND hand and FREE stock they sell to the public.

Truth is, there really aren't any reasons.

If you don't like the prices, don't shop there.

Simples.

My point was that there are costs associated with sorting, even if the staff are volunteers. Steaming is a cost. Washing is a cost. Recycling bags are a cost.

Anyway, this thread is becoming increasingly combative so I'm out.

@Zov you are right, it doesn't really matter if there are or are not reasons. It is up to charity shops to sell at whatever price they please. If people don't like it, they don't have to shop in them.

Agree. Electricity, water, office supplies like till roll and paper for the printer, credit card processing fees, window cleaner, you even need a licence to play music in the shop.

Not all stock is free. We receive boxes from Amazon and Arcadia which we pay for.
We also pay for new goods.
we have the same costs as any retail outlet- till, electric, window cleaner, fire extinguishers, electric, price tags, rubbish collection (which can be expensive if we receive dirty and damaged goods as donations) etc etc.

This is such an old chestnut.

Charity shops need to pay rent, rates, utilities, insurance, staff, equipment, broadband etc etc just like any other shop. All of these things have gone up especially staff costs with min wage and pension contributions.

Most charities that have shops rely on them for the bulk of their funding. The one I volunteer in supports a hospice. Funding from other sources is much harder to come by. The shops have got to raise the funds to keep the service going.

Charity shops are not there to provide cheap stuff. They are there to raise funds. Of course they need to price appropriate to their particular market. But if they are reaching target sales with costing at a particular level then the market has spoken.

I think Vinted has had a massive impact on the kind of clothing donations received - I have noticed a reduction in good high street brands coming in, more PLT, SHEIN, Primark. We tend not to sell those brands.

Some of our volunteers take good stock with the odd mark on home to wash to save it from going in the ragbag. I always bring canvas Comverse and similar home to wash as we can charge a few more Quid fur them if they look fresh.

Actually I have worked in this sector and a lot is free so if by old chestnut you mean it's not true, it is- most of the stock is free, labour (most shops are run on a shoestring with the paid staff, without vols they'd soon go under) and often reduced rates on account of being a charidee. The biggest expenses are the head office staff (going on endless jollies in the place I worked) as the shop staff are either paid peanuts or not at all.

I’ve noticed locally that the prices very much seem to depend on the storage options the shops have as well as the other support they have.

we have three as the council offered cheap rent to fill empty shops. One is extortionate. Two are very good value, but they are the work of the wife of a very very very rich local businessman. His company donates storage space to them. So when everybody clears their clothes out at the end of summer they have free space to store them until next summer, same with winter. So then when the right season comes they are full to the brim of what people are actually looking for and can afford to have really good deals. For the children’s shop they work on a third of the new price if it’s as new, then a quarter if it’s slightly less, and bargain if it’s less than that. They also do regular “full a bag for £10” sales.

Without the support they wouldn’t be able to operate in the way they do.

The other one is trying to raise money for a charity so operates very differently.

Tell me you nothing about business without telling me you nothing about business.

Quite a few charity shops have closed down near where I live. People chose not to shop in them and they couldn't cover their costs.

Understandably charity shops have overheads and want to raise money. The bottom line is that some charity shops are outpricing themselves to the extent that it is putting people off.

It's supply and demand at the end of the day and charity shops are not immune from this.

Agree have done similar. Taken something home to freshen up or get a stain out. But that’s not even nearly the same thing as washing everything. plus most people who buy second hand immediately wash the item anyway.

everything got steamed - not ironed.

Insurance, tech helpdesk, software costs, utilities, repairs and refurbishment, staff salaries, insurances, new goods, rent, rubbish removal, drivers, vans and associated costs, fuel , MOT and storage costs , health and safety compliance, printing, the list goes on and on and none of it is free.

I agree, where I love charity shops are quite pricey and he items are mainly shein or Primark. I've visited charity shops on nearby towns and cities and have found them either cheaper os similarly priced but for better quality brands. I've found posher areas have cheaper charity shops and better items.

I didn’t mention anything about old chestnuts…?