Charity shops and their hugely inflated prices..

[Charityshops21]

I've always loved charity shops and usually pop in whenever I pass one but I've noticed since they reopened post lockdown the prices have more than doubled in many places.

Take the Sue Ryders local to me, women's tops and dresses used to be between £3 and £5, I went in this afternoon and saw that the same type of clothes (not expensive brands in the first place) have at least doubled in price.

£9.99 for a second or third hand faded jumper with loose threads.

£7 for an atmosphere (Primark) blouse that I know only cost that brand new.

£15 for a battered pair of shoes.

I understand the need to recoup losses but AIBU to think this is bad and will alienate their most frequent customers? IE poor people me

Totally agree kowari and halcyondays

I don't mind colour blocking. It makes the shop look much more attractive and less like a jumble sake. It encourages people in

I'm willing to believe that it might attract some people in, but I can tell you for a fact that it puts other people off - me for one and other folk I've spoken to.

Most of the big chains colour block - and you can be sure that if it made more money to have arranged in a different way, that's what they'd be doing.
However, that is not in any way comparable with a Charity shop. If M&S have a navy blouse in, and you think it is nice, you can guarantee that the will have several of the same blouse in every size. If a charity shop has a navy blouse in, they will only have the one in. In you are looking at your 'range' of size (lets say 6,8,10 or 12, 14, 16, etc), then your spot in a fraction of a second what colour the items are that will possibly fit you, but if you are trawling through a range of navy clothes, and have to trawl through all sorts of different items and then start sorting for the size, it just takes so much longer.
It puts me right off and I don't go in the two charity shops that do it in our High Street.

I don't mind colour blocking. It makes the shop look much more attractive and less like a jumble sake. It encourages people in. Most of the big chains colour block - and you can be sure that if it made more money to have arranged in a different way, that's what they'd be doing
The better charity shops on the same high street are done by item & then in size order along the rack.How many people go into a charity shop thinking "what I'm really looking for is something green, not sure what, but green, any style, any garment, but green"? More people are going to think "I wonder if the charity shop has any trousers in that would do for work / a nice dress".

Big chains will colour block, but usually it's a range of colours that go as a capsule. Then people see an item they like AND can get their size. The store is also set out with coordinating accessories, and other pieces that go together. The whole section is a mini capsule where the whole look is being sold as a one stop shop. The aim is the customer likes one item, sees other items that go together and will buy more items as part of an overall look. A rail of purple that includes everything from bobbly primark, to gym leggings, to a 90s coat, a cold shoulder top, a shirt from Warehouse, a glittery party dress from the early 2000s, a FatFace dress with tags, and some ancient jumpers from Next and M&S that can be euphemistically described as vintage is not comparable comparable a high street shop.

Charity shops aren't big chains or boutiques. Sometimes I think too many of them got carried away after the Mary Portas TV series and forgot about their area and customer base.

Our clothes are hung by type and size. Women's dresses, tops, skirts, trousers all separate. At the moment we have a summer rail as well, swimsuits, shorts, beachwear etc. Not every charity shop will attract every shopper, but there are at least six in the same vicinity here, so people have a choice.

Our books are more expensive than some, but they are usually up to date titles in good condition. Our manager is very knowledgeable about fashion and shoes, and prices accordingly within the set range. We are also near some cut price stores such as B&M, so we can't overprice our glassware, crockery etc., or it just wouldn't sell. I enjoy my voluntary role, it puzzles me as to why more retired people don't get involved.

When I said "the big chains colour block" I meant the charity shops - not the standard retailers. The ones round this way do anyway.

But my other point stands - it's all about sales. If they thought that they could get more cash into the tills by sorting all the trousers together or all the tops and then arranging by size that''s exactly what they'd be doing.

I know I’ve said this multiple times on this thread already, but just backing up @RaspberryCoulis - clearly not everyone likes it but these kind of strategies for presentation and pricing make more money.

And it’s not about charities being ‘greedy’, for some of these shops it’s about making it viable for them to stay open at all.

Charity shops should have 2 motives, making money for their charity and providing affordable clothing for people who cannot afford mainstream retail.

There should be a good selection of clean, unstained clothing at a reasonable price for all ages and a selection of more expensive clothes in the areas where that will work.

People who shop in them for ecological reasons or because they like vintage clothes should recognise that the charity needs money for its charitable purposes and those shops are not there to provide a bargain for them or sell designer clothes for very little. If you see a designer item and it is a good price, then, for goodness sake, make a donation as well. No charity shop will refuse to take it.

There was a thread on here about an OP who went shopping with a so called friend and the friend bought a coat to sell on EBay, instead of allowing the OP to buy it and wear it. What a hideously selfish thing to do and there were people on here justifying it. I couldn’t do that to a friend.

Oh and don’t donate rubbish. If it has holes or is stained or (yuk) you haven’t washed it, then it goes for recycling. It costs the charities a fortune to get rid of the rubbish that people donate in a show of virtue signalling and/or sheer laziness.

We really are in a strange time when people don’t understand the basics of being kind and not taking advantage.

Charity shops should have 2 motives, making money for their charity and providing affordable clothing for people who cannot afford mainstream retail.

Why should charity shops have to do this? Their sole purpose is to raise awareness and funds for their purpose. They can't afford to subsidise others. Why shouldn't wealthier businesses do this instead?

I think a lot of successful marketers will tell you to think about why people are buying and not why you are selling.

It's not on.

Our local charity shop charges £1 or 50p. Any item that's brand new with tags is 10% of the marked price. The stuff in there can be almost brand new. I got a pair of unworn salopettes that were £30 in the ski shop still for £1. Because it's such a well loved and used shop, most of the village donate loads back. This means they can make sure to only put out the good stuff. The bobbly jumpers go to the primary school charity rag bag collections.
It's always got fresh stock and despite the tiny prices, makes a lot of money.

Funny how people whine about charity shops over charging, but how many people pay more than what's on the label when they get a massive bargain? I've seen threads on here before when people have paid a couple of quid for a designer item. They don't complain when they're charged too little.

@Nohomemadecandles

I think a lot of successful marketers will tell you to think about why people are buying and not why you are selling.

Do you not think charity shops will have spoken to "successful marketers" then?

There is this perception that the charity shop sector is run by well-meaning, but totally out of touch and slightly dim people. Not the case at all. Perhaps if it's a one-off shop run by one person, but not the big chains. Or even the smaller chains.

@OhRene

It's not on.

Our local charity shop charges £1 or 50p. Any item that's brand new with tags is 10% of the marked price. The stuff in there can be almost brand new. I got a pair of unworn salopettes that were £30 in the ski shop still for £1. Because it's such a well loved and used shop, most of the village donate loads back. This means they can make sure to only put out the good stuff. The bobbly jumpers go to the primary school charity rag bag collections.
It's always got fresh stock and despite the tiny prices, makes a lot of money.

Sorry I had to laugh at the indignation over the fact that another charity shop might have motives other than providing bargain price salopettes. Won’t somebody think of the skiers?

I find books so overpriced in some charity shops. 50p, 75p for a run of the mill book, not by a well known author or in particularly good condition. The charity shop near me pre-covid was doing children’s books for 10p-20p.

@4fingerKitKat I'm not following. Indignation? I got a bargain pair of kids ski trousers (aka winter waterproofs cos I've never touched a ski in my life) and thought that was great?
The shop is very busy and has loads of stock, from prams to yes, ski trousers, and their business does very well and people keep coming back because they get ridiculous bargains. Most people, like me, pay far more than they ask and I donate in more than I buy. The money goes to a children's charity and local village support.
They provided bags and bags of groceries, delivered to doors, free of charge to families during lockdown thanks to those volunteers and the shop profits. Anyone can walk in and take free packs of sanpro too so period poverty is being tackled without shaming.

But the big difference is, they're not paying CEOs huge salaries.

@RaspberryCoulisim sure they have hence the spouting again and again of "we only care about making money for our charity not why people shop here in the first place" is a daft thing to keep repeating. You do have to care about who is buying. Everyone in retail does. But clearly some people can't see past their own noses (shops )

@1AngelicFruitCake

I find books so overpriced in some charity shops. 50p, 75p for a run of the mill book, not by a well known author or in particularly good condition. The charity shop near me pre-covid was doing children’s books for 10p-20p.

Conversely, in our shop we sell paperbacks for £2.99. Sales are high, customers would vote with their feet if they thought we were too expensive. Fiction represents a high proportion of our weekly turnover, probably because there is no longer a proper bookshop in the town where we are, and the shop's book section is really nicely set out with books in sections according to theme. We don't sell tatty books, or decades-old books, or books with ripped covers and yellow pages, they all go for recycling. Non-fiction sells really well too, even things like cook books which surprises me a bit as there are so many recipes online.

Yes you could go to the supermarket and get one of the top 10 paperbacks for £4, or order from Amazon, but it's an impulse buy for most people.

Cheap isn't always the best way to maximise sales.

I understand the need to recoup losses but AIBU to think this is bad and will alienate their most frequent customers? IE poor people

Presumably the charity shops think their most profitable customers are trendy hipster types who shop second-hand and 'vintage' in the belief it will help the environment, and far from wanting cheap will actually pay a premium for that.

And the shops might be right.

Remember that charity shops do not exist to provide cheap stuff to poor people, they exist to raise money for the charity.

[quote Nohomemadecandles]@RaspberryCoulisim sure they have hence the spouting again and again of "we only care about making money for our charity not why people shop here in the first place" is a daft thing to keep repeating. You do have to care about who is buying. Everyone in retail does. But clearly some people can't see past their own noses (shops )[/quote]
But then it would be "Cancer Research/Oxfam/BHF wasting money on market research, all money should be going to the cause, charities are such a scam, pigs with noses in the trough, have you seen how much their CEO gets paid"....

Some of those decades old books are actually sought after. Even paperbacks if they’re the sort of things people collect like Chalet School or Antonia Forest. I hope they aren’t sending things like that to recycling. And even for regular stuff, they should be upfront about what they sell, so that people who are donating have the option to give it to a different shop that isn’t so fussy. I think I know what the shop is.

It probably depends on where the shop is based, some areas will have a lot of affluent hipster customers who are willing to pay higher prices, others will be relying on customers who need or want bargains.

[quote Nohomemadecandles]@RaspberryCoulisim sure they have hence the spouting again and again of "we only care about making money for our charity not why people shop here in the first place" is a daft thing to keep repeating. You do have to care about who is buying. Everyone in retail does. But clearly some people can't see past their own noses (shops )[/quote]
Of course you have to care about who is buying and understand your customers...the point is that the people who are attracted in by nice displays and prepared to pay £3 for a book are often of more value to the charity than people who are happy to rummage around for a 50p paperback, however vocal the 50p paperback crowd are about complaining about the lack of 50p paperbacks.

@safariboot

I understand the need to recoup losses but AIBU to think this is bad and will alienate their most frequent customers? IE poor people

Presumably the charity shops think their most profitable customers are trendy hipster types who shop second-hand and 'vintage' in the belief it will help the environment, and far from wanting cheap will actually pay a premium for that.

And the shops might be right.

Remember that charity shops do not exist to provide cheap stuff to poor people, they exist to raise money for the charity.

Are they? Gosh we hadn't thought of that.

They can't do that in isolation though. Hipsters aren't buying 2nd hand Per Una jeans or the Dorothy Perkins dresses.

Some people on this board live in bubbles. Not covid ones either!

Who do you think buys the stuff that isn't vintage or hipster?

They exist because some people are happy to buy 2nd hand clothes and some people need to. Otherwise opening the very first one all those decades ago would have been foolish.

@OhRene

They sound great. Maybe selling cheap is the best strategy for them. Would you still have thought the £30 salopettes were a bargain at £1.50 or £2.00?

But the big difference is, they're not paying CEOs huge salaries.

I think paying a CEOs ‘huge’ salary would add about 0.001 pence to the price of a £1 pair of salopettes.

@halcyondays

Some of those decades old books are actually sought after. Even paperbacks if they’re the sort of things people collect like Chalet School or Antonia Forest. I hope they aren’t sending things like that to recycling. And even for regular stuff, they should be upfront about what they sell, so that people who are donating have the option to give it to a different shop that isn’t so fussy. I think I know what the shop is.

Non-fiction is different, first editions, or signed copies, or special editions.

But every charity shop has very limited space and we can't keep 20 copies of the Da Vinci Code or tattered Jilly Coopers or Jackie Collins just in case someone wants them. For a start, we don't have the space to display them all. Secondly, it would take someone to go through every book on music magpie or similar to check the value, we haven't the manpower.

We have a pick up of books twice a week - the company we used to use pre-pandemic has gone into liquidation so these are new people so i'm not entirely sure how they operate. They take what we don't want or can't sell, sell what they think they can through ABE books or similar, send some off to the developing world and recycle the rest. A box of books which has been sitting in someone's attic since 1990 really has very little appeal to most shoppers.

When I donate, I am the two things in mind; the charity gains profit and that people who shop can afford 50p/£1-3 max for clothing. Pissed me off if a price tag of £6.99 has been placed on a 15 yr old cheap jumper