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To be disgusted with Amazon throwing out new items?

66 replies

rockingthelook · 22/06/2021 21:15

I saw an item on the news last night about Amazon throwing out brand new items, I just can't comprehend the sheer waste, why not donate to charity? It is also interesting to see that even though it was the main feature of the news last night that it hasn't been reported on the Daily Fail website, however there are plenty of ads/articles highlighting the best buys for the Amazon Prime sale days... just saying......

OP posts:
RaspberryCoulis · 23/06/2021 08:27

I am a charity shop and we get regular donations from two high street brands - things they have tried to sell in their stores and can't. Clothing mostly, but also other things like shoes, accessories, gifts.

Now sometimes the things are great. We had a donation of nightwear recently which sold well, in the main. But often the stuff which hasn't sold in the shops has been reduced, and reduced again, and reduced again, and STILL doesn't sell. Often because of the size/colour/design. We had these absolutely hideous maxi dresses a couple of years ago, size 26, a really ugly sludgy brown colour, weird shiny fabric. The original selling price had been £50, then it had been reduced to £25, £12.50 and the lowest price on it was about £5. Hadn't sold. The market for that product is very niche.

The other brand which donates to us is much more "high end fashion", but puts all sorts of conditions on their donation which means we can't put items in the window, put them on our facebook/instagram page, basically we're not allowed to tell people we have the stock. They are very precious about their brand image.

I would imagine that if stuff hasn't sold in Amazon there will be a good reason for that. Some stuff just doesn't sell however cheap it is. Of course it shouldn't go into landfill, but some stuff won't sell however cheap you price it.

RaspberryCoulis · 23/06/2021 08:27

I am a volunteer in a charity shop, obviously. Not an entire charity shop all by myself.

thisplaceisweird · 23/06/2021 08:37

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism

Krook · 23/06/2021 08:42

This has been picked up by The Fail today...

JOHN HUMPHRYS: Amazon really is the Prime waste culprit
mol.im/a/9714353

ImprobablePuffin · 23/06/2021 09:07

I threaten to know if all those saying they're going to boycott Amazon (even though the stock isn't theirs and it isn't up to them) are going to boycott all the other businesses who do the same.

You can't blame one company for a much bigger issue.

ImprobablePuffin · 23/06/2021 09:08

Threaten? Confused
I meant I'm interested to know 🤦🏼‍♀️

CatsArePeople · 23/06/2021 15:14

We wanted to give fresh food to charity after closing each day (apparently you can't when it's out of date). None was willing to come from it and half wanted it hours before closing.
Few places I spoke tp had similar experiences so we just eat it.

Because charities don't have many people with cars to do the collecting. Then its a question of storage. Some things can be frozen, but often can't. And then it is against the law to give/serve out of date food to the public, despite being still perfectly edible. And if it needs to go to waste - the charity has to pay.

RaspberryCoulis · 23/06/2021 15:25

For food waste retailers are using apps like Too Good to Go. People will turn up and collect the stuff and you will make money on it.

Tossblanket · 23/06/2021 15:45

They could easily offer it for free if postage is covered.

They wouldn't need to lose money.

Not that it matters its a gold mine.

BarbarianMum · 23/06/2021 17:59

Most businesses dont offer surplus stock for free because it devalues their products and risks pissing off existing customers. And of course there would be costs to a business in physically distributing unsold goods.

RaspberryCoulis · 23/06/2021 18:03

@Tossblanket

They could easily offer it for free if postage is covered.

They wouldn't need to lose money.

Not that it matters its a gold mine.

But Amazon would say they still have to pay to warehouse it, pick it, pack it, send it out.

Having stuff sitting in a warehouse not selling is costing you money - it's taking up the space which could be occupied by something which is selling.

I'm not saying Amazon are right in binning stuff. But many of the seemingly simple options like giving it away or offering it free of charge aren't as simple as they might seem

UrAWizHarry · 23/06/2021 18:34

@BarbarianMum

Most businesses dont offer surplus stock for free because it devalues their products and risks pissing off existing customers. And of course there would be costs to a business in physically distributing unsold goods.
Well, that depends on the product, doesn't it?

For high-end fashion, sure. It's still fucking ridiculous, but you can kinda understand the argument.

For cheapo clothes and things like that? Nope, it makes no sense.

thedevilinablackdress · 23/06/2021 18:43

I'm outraged that we live in a society that produces and consumes so constantly and mindlessly, that it's a 'normal' part of the system to destroy stock at this scale.
It really makes me wonder why I bother recycling a plastic bottle or keeping the heading down in the winter.

BarbarianMum · 23/06/2021 18:45

Many cheap-o clothes arent binned, they are recycled or sold on the "seconds" market by the tonne and shipped to Eastern Europe or beyond. Quite a bit ends up on the African market (known as "dead mens clothes") which provides cheap clothing whilst also largely undermining the local clothing industry. So not ideal either.

Rather than blaming Amazon, we consumers could make a difference by investing in fewer, better quality items, reusing them, reducing our consumption overall and recycling them at the end of their lives. And by swerving the instantly gratifying (but only for a few minutes) tat with which we fill our lives.

UrAWizHarry · 23/06/2021 19:04

@BarbarianMum

Many cheap-o clothes arent binned, they are recycled or sold on the "seconds" market by the tonne and shipped to Eastern Europe or beyond. Quite a bit ends up on the African market (known as "dead mens clothes") which provides cheap clothing whilst also largely undermining the local clothing industry. So not ideal either.

Rather than blaming Amazon, we consumers could make a difference by investing in fewer, better quality items, reusing them, reducing our consumption overall and recycling them at the end of their lives. And by swerving the instantly gratifying (but only for a few minutes) tat with which we fill our lives.

It's possible to do both, you know.
Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 23/06/2021 19:45

It's part of Amazon's business model. They make money storing the items and charge to dispose or return to the seller. All in the pursuit of $$$$. I'm boycotting

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