To think charity shops have got just too expensive?

[Arnoldthecat]

The high streets of even the fairly affluent towns now often have a selection of charity shops because no one else wants the retail space. Inevitably i often browse them and i dont think im alone in thinking that they have just got way too expensive.

I tend to look for factual books but as a matter of interest, i look at other stuff and prices. Example,used mens shirt £8 ! It was nothing special either.

I spotted a woman looking at a teapot. The label was partly obscured nd she thought it was £1.99 when it was actually £19...oh i dont think so,she said,as she put it back on the shelf.

No one is buying anything. They get it all for free,why not just keep prices reasonable,shift volume,get the money in and get new stock on the shelves/hangers?

No. Charity shops are there to make as much money as they can for their charities (although I read that they are mainly there to increase name recognition and don’t really bring in significant amounts of money in any case).

But why oh why not just sell it more cheaply in the first place?

Because we have to maximise revenue for the charity. Stick a Boden dress out at £10 and it will probably sell for that. If it doesn't, you can reduce it to £5 and then it will almost definitely sell. But stick it out at £5 to start with, and you've lost the opportunity to make an extra £5 for the charity.

And when you do have a better quality top from a brand from Cos, Hobbs or Phase Eight people look at the £6 price tag and remark that they could get two new tops for that price in Primark.
For some maybe, but most of us know the difference in quality.
I've paid £30 for a handbag before and wouldn't bat an eyelid at £20 on a decent dress.

I just have an issue with fast fashion clothing being sold second hand for the same price as new. It's madness to me.

Sorry but I just don't want to wear second hand clothes
That might make me seem strange,and maybe I am!
I don't buy cheap clothes I buy expensive things and wear them for years

THe ones round here are brilliant. A recent rummage round our local cancer research shop yielded a lovely pair of shoes, some designer jeans and a Jaeger blouse for less than £15.00 the lot. I rarely shop anywhere else these days.

user1487194234 It doesn't make you strange it is your personal preference.

People like buying clothes in charity shops for many reasons. For me it is part ecological reasons (fashion is one of the worlds biggest polluting industries) reasons and part financial reasons (I like expensive clothes but not their price tag). Not all charity shop clothes are second hand, you often find some gems that are brand new with tags still attached. There are also lots of other items other than clothes ie books, handbags, games, gifts.

When I was younger it was a god send when I had young children and was totally skint, it then became a bit of a hobby tracking down bargains.

Strange business model.

In the US the Goodwill chain charges $1.99 - about $9.99 for the vast majority of clothing items, with most priced at $4.99. You could pick up a cashmere sweater or a t-shirt that originally sold in Walmart for the same price.

With regards to the 'charity shop smell' (and of course not all have that musty smell, but some do. There is a cancer research one near where I live, its huge but it smells pretty awful) - do you think that is down to people donating dusty/damp or unwashed items? I've always wondered where the smell comes from. I always make sure I'm washed stuff first BTW before handing in (!!)

I get a lot of my clothes from charity shops and have volunteered at a charity shop for a smallish charity (which I won't name) in the past. So in some respects I can see both sides, since the main purpose of charity shops is to raise money for the charity. But the pricing policy at this place - at the time, I left three-ish years ago - was that anything "fashionable/good quality" was supposed to be priced at a bit more. Unfortunately from the example sheet we had in the stockroom and the decisions of some of the other volunteers who were a bit out of touch, it seemed that anything that wasn't a supermarket or maybe Primark - even if it was just a faded top from New Look - got the Fashionable price mark-up. And we were still cheap, compared with Oxfam!
I think some volunteers need to be more up-to-date on what's worth marking up, and also to realise that people won't want a worn Primark t-shirt sold at more than the original price. Have also seen plenty of those 80p Penguin books from a few years ago in Oxfam - with "80p" in large letters on the cover but now retailing for £1.99!

It does cut both ways though, when I worked at the shop you'd get people asking for discounts on 50p books.

Stick a Boden dress out at £10 and it will probably sell for that. If it doesn't, you can reduce it to £5 and then it will almost definitely sell. But stick it out at £5 to start with, and you've lost the opportunity to make an extra £5 for the charity.

This is a very short sighted approach.
What guarantees sales in charity shops is a mix of selection and price but above all, you need traffic into the shop.
If a potential customer browses through and leaves because everything is ovepriced they are not likely to come back.

I realise Goodwill in the US operates with a completely different model and in a somewhat different climate, but the one nearest me always has at least 50 cars parked outside and most people leave with bulging bags.

Items spend a maximum of four weeks on the racks. High turnover means people will pull in to take a look- they can be pretty sure they will find something that wasn't there the previous time they visited.

Any one else got thrift shop going through their head? I am going to take you grandpa style

Havent RTFT but the charity shop by mine i recently bought 2 dresses, a bag & a skirt all for the princely sum of £13.50. I was well chuffed

Charity shops are not about helping the poor to buy clothes.
They are about raising funds for their cause.
Most profits are creamed off by executives.
Oh and of course opportunities abroad to work with children and engage in rape and paedophilia.
It's documented.

@monty27

Avoid the big nationals and support smaller local charity shops. You can do a bit of invesigation on the charity commision website to try avoid the corrupt ones.

@09Wavescrashingonthebeach
Oh I do. But there's none where I live.
Not posh but £5 for a Primark top makes my blood boil.
As does charities' corruption.

@monty27

Ahh that's a shame. We have some fab ones round here. Im on a really tight budget badly fucking skint so they are a lifeline for me. And i cant afford to donate much, if anything, on a regular basis so i like to think its my way of contributing.
Plus i can get that "new purchase" buzz really cheap then once the novelty wears off re-donate for someone else to discover

Ah lucky you
I donate a lot too. When I'm out and about in other parts of the country I seek out the local community charity shops.
Currently I have two sofas to donate. 2 weeks before a high street charity can pick them up. I understand this may well be due to lack of volunteers or they're inundated with donations.
I'd am happy to give.

YANBU
No longer can you rely on a charity shop for a guaranteed bargain. Makes me feel v poor

I'm laughing at the £10 Boden dresses. Round these affluent parts a bobbled, much used Boden dress would be priced up at a minimum of £16.95, if its in good condition they usually slap on £25, with tags and it's £30+. I hesitate to buy at those prices unless I really like the item. Last year I bought a new La Redoute dress at £24- had to hold my nose to do so as suspect that it cost less than that originally, but have used it quite a lot so worth it.

People don't go into Waitrose, pick up stuff and comment loudly to the staff that they can get it cheaper across the road in Asda.

People do exactly that. I've worked in supermarkets for years.
Alot of "the creme eggs in asda are 5p cheaper, do you think that's right?" when I'm putting their shopping through the till.
Get your creme eggs from Asda then 🤷🏻‍♀️ but its definitely not specific to charity shops.

Ed sheeran donated loads to ours but they sold it on ebay

Agree. Dont bother now to even pop in. I visit the tip shop now which is age concern seriously prices are low and great. Its a gold mine. I love the recycling of charity shop tip shop.

YANBU
There’s a shop in Blackheath near me - pretty affluent area of London to be fair - but the prices are shocking! Jigsaw dresses for around £60-80, Boden for £40, etc

People don't go into Waitrose, pick up stuff and comment loudly to the staff that they can get it cheaper across the road in Asda. So why is it OK to do that in a charity shop? If you think it's too expensive then don't buy it. If lots of people share your opinion, sales will dip and the manager will make changes. But if prices remain unchanged then maybe the management are happy with the sales volume and turnover.

Your comparison makes no sense. Waitrose is nicer than Asda? A shitty little charity shop is no comparison to Waitrose ffs 😂