To disagree re: charity shop shopping

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Read an article in a student newspaper saying better off students (we are talking Cambridge here) should 'check their privilege' and not buy clothes and homeware from charity shops so that poorer students and townspeople can buy them. But honestly almost no one I know who is on a really low income wants to shop there - they prefer sales, fewer clothes or hand ons from friends and family. So is the writer right(YABU)) or am I to carry on shopping in charity shops for the odd item - which often aren't that cheap anyhow?

Shop where you like, it's a free country.

I don't see any charity shops selling out and standing empty waiting for more stock. In fact I've never, ever seen anything approaching this. Most are full of stuff all the time and have loads more out the back. Many have been closing their doors to new donations recently because so many people have been decluttering during lockdown and the charity shops literally can't fit any more stuff in.

Sounds like the person who wrote that article hasn't ever actually been in a charity shop.

The charity shops won't run out of things to sell - lots of people have had big clearouts this year so some are having to restrict donations because they haven't the space in the shops. More people shopping in them means quicker turnover and more money for the charity.

And surely shopping in charity shops also benefits the charity and the environment? I would be having a long hard look at the ethics of telling people not to shop there.

I can understand the sentiment, though it is a little patronising (us poor folk can only afford cast offs don’t you know), however I think that the less people who are buying new clothing the less demand and the better it is for the environment.

But it's a charity shop not discount shop.
Its purpose isnt to provide cheap goods it's to raise money for charity, people just like the "free prize with every donation" so donate more

"Oh Yah! Isolde, Chardonnay and moi would never even consider going into one of those places. I mean, yeegads! They smell like my old aunt Theodora!!"

What a complete load of twonk. Charity shops are the only place I buy silk scarves.

Buying second hand clothes be for environmental and sustainability reasons could be their motivation more than the cost value.

Of course you can shop in charity shops. They're open to everyone.
Having said that, having seen some charity shops customers, I do believe many people on very low incomes do shop there.

I think perhaps if the students are bagging the best stuff because there are hoards of them doing so then yes. However without real facts and figures its hard to say because of unintended consequences of advocating any 'policy'. I don't buy from charity shops in poorer areas for this reason though as I think it is unfair. I also don't buy food priced down in case some poor old lady comes along looking for a bargain and I hate seeing people take the whole pile of what's on offer. I live in quite a low income area though and am reasonably well paid.

The issue is the number of older teens/students buying bulk from charity shops, to sell on at a reasonable profit on depop. There's nothing wrong with more well off people choosing to buy from charity shops, but in some areas the above practices means there's very little left for the people who need it

“But it's a charity shop not discount shop.
Its purpose isnt to provide cheap goods it's to raise money for charity“

Exactly. Can’t believe there are still people who believe that the “charity” is aimed at the customers of the shop

@SmudgeButt

"Oh Yah! Isolde, Chardonnay and moi would never even consider going into one of those places. I mean, yeegads! They smell like my old aunt Theodora!!"

What a complete load of twonk. Charity shops are the only place I buy silk scarves.

Posh people have posh charity shops. Rich people donate things that are still in good condition. I never understood women's magazines going on about the things you could find in charity shops until I understood that charity shops in Chelsea, for example, don't sell the same kind of things as elsewhere.

I think that is rubbish and everyone should be able to buy in a charity shop, it's a free market.

Our local charity shops aren’t even taking donations at the moment because they’re so full. I think loads of people had clear outs over lockdown so there’s plenty of clothes to go around

Charity shops are available for all. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

If that's true why are the charity shops declining donations? They exist to make money for the charity after all so any sale is a good sale.

Some of the prices in there are disgusting

I expect student journalists eventually grow up and stop writing patronising twaddle.

Apparently only something like 10-15% of stock ever actually gets sold. The rest ends up as waste.

More people, of all different backgrounds using charity shops is a good thing imo: More cash for the charities, a good turnover of stock, and an erosion of the stigma attached to buying used goods.

This is such a non issue.

Unless it is a charity for helping the homeless/supporting those on low incomes, charities have to fulfil their stated purpose, and charity shops therefore have an obligation to maximise their income. If students and others want to shop there, great. I don't know any charity shops that struggle to get enough donations to sell, but if there are, then the onus is on people to donate more, not on shoppers to shop less.

@GhostCurry

“But it's a charity shop not discount shop. Its purpose isnt to provide cheap goods it's to raise money for charity“

Exactly. Can’t believe there are still people who believe that the “charity” is aimed at the customers of the shop

This ⬆️

The shop is there for the benefit of the charity, not for the benefit of the local residents.

When I was at uni (a long, long time ago) my main income was from trawling through charity shops and selling the good stuff on for more money. I would then donate a proportion of what I sold back to the charity, so they got double whammy from me, but I don’t feel I was depriving others of cheep goods.

What a load of patronising shite. These people are so obsessed with appearing kind and compassionate and woke that they never actually stop to think about what they are saying.

Shows fundamental ignorance of what the purpose of charity shops actually is. It could also lead to loss in revenue for those shops if anyone followed this advice, speaking of privilege checking.