Annoyed at people ranting about charity shops

[Dowhadiddydiddydum]

This is one those threads that’s a release of frustration. So apologies for it being so boring.

AIBU for getting pissed off at seeing people moaning constantly about charity shops and their pricing? It’s driving me insane.

Most people’s objections seem to be based on….

• Charity shops should be cheap…because they’re a charity ain’t they
• I could buy that stuff cheaper elsewhere.
• people give them things for free then they make loads of money from it.

Now am I loosing my god damn mind or do people not understand the point of charity shops is to FUCKING RAISE MONEY. So of course they want to raise as much money as possible. Of course people donate stuff for free….because they donate it so the charity can make money from it!! If you think you can get it cheaper elsewhere then bloody do it….if the shop is that over priced it’ll close down won’t it.

Been tipped over the edge by a shitty TikTok video someone made slating a local
hospice charity shop for selling their items for “too much”. The video has so many shitty comments under it….all apparently oblivious to the fact the shop exists to raise as much money as possible to support those with life limiting illnesses not so Barbara and Jeff can get a cheap table.

Oh so now we’re back to the “anyone working for a charity isn’t earning a salary they are siphoning off money”? How dull.

all the “I’ve heard” or “I’ve read” - I’ve heard and read a lot of stuff which is total rubbish. All the facts are out there on reputable websites if you could be bothered to google rather than rely on gossip.

I can see the argument, but selling Primark, H&M et al clothes for more than anyone would pay the original price for is complete bat shit. They need a quick turnaround, I’m not surprised some charity shops are drowning under clothes/books/items donated when the prices are stupid. It’s the turnaround of the stock that stops them. If you’re charging stupid prices, no one buys, therefore you have a backlog of new stock. It’s not really that difficult.

I always read about this "2-week rule" on here, but in my local charity shops I really do see no evidence if it because the same items are there week in and week out. I used to spend around £30 in charity shops each month, but nearly all that money now goes to people on Vinted. Doubt I'm the only one.

I just think clothes pricing is done by people who don’t know the brands and their worth. As someone upthread has said, putting a price on a Primark teeshirt for a fiver is silly. And then I spotted an All Saints jumper in the same shop for five pounds, which obviously should have been priced far more than the Primark one.

Perhaps it's management? we have 2 charity shops in our town and tbh they are awful, as in they are terribly picky about what's donated, tried to give loads of clothes, books etc and they looked through distastefully and told me to chuck the lot! They took a pram from my friend who had bought it from them 1 year previously for £30 and put it up for £60! A donated reborn doll for £200, £75 on Amazon,They put out unworn clothes with price tags still on for more than the tag! One has now stopped selling donated items and is just selling merchandise produced for their charity. They have cut their opening hours down to 2 days a week in the winter as locals have stopped using them due to this, it's such a shame as we have no access to any major shops and would love to support them rather than go online.

I used to spend my hard earned cash in our local "charity" shops as I could get "pre loved" items for a reasonable price... now I'm afraid that charity begins at home..... the prices in my local charity shop have gone stupid!!!..... run by volunteers and all stock donated for nothing... in my opinion a charity shop should help people with lower incomes in addition to their charity!

I actually think charity shops are supposed to form part of a social contract. It’s not just about raising money. It’s also about recycling, and providing second hand items at an affordable price to people who can’t afford to pay new prices. If they price items too high it violates the part of the contract about supporting those who are less fortunate.

in theory i can respect your idea but then how can you know the income levels of those who shop in the chairty shops ?

They can only raise money if people want to buy the stuff they sell. If it's too expensive nobody will want to buy it.

Because I cannot afford to buy brand new....... I'm only speaking from my own pov and experience (friends/ family).....I no longer bother with charity shops (donate to my own preferred cause) and go straight to car boots, gumtree, vinted etc. for anything I need. I also no longer donate to charity shops due to their "fussiness"....... since lockdown I just put anything I no longer need outside our house.....

I work for a charity (small local) we keep thinking about opening a shop to raise funds but feel we can’t compete so do ‘pop ups’ instead - market stalls and sometimes car boots
Personally I also love a bargain and recycling is environmentally friendly so buy as much as I can from charity shops
Truth is they vary so much and it depends on who does the pricing and guidance given
At the end of the day it’s intended to raise as much money as possible for the charity - if they can also help people on limited budgets all the better
I went Xmas shopping today - all from charity shops - also ended up with a dress, 2 jumpers and a pair of shoes
The customers drive the market eventually - I buy very little from one shop which is overpriced - has same goods for weeks on end and frequently is not accepting donations - I donate and buy loads from another one quite close by who is more reasonably priced - had a quicker turnover of stock and has never refused my donations

Re Emmaus - I will never donate to them. They are allegedly a charity that helps homeless people back on their feet. They force their residents to close benefit claims when they come to live there and pay them a pittance. Leaving them without NI contributions for their time there and no way of saving towards more permanent accommodation, not to mention the hassle and disruption to their income making it more difficult to leave once there.

People will vote with their feet especially with the likes of vinted where you can get a bundle of clothes cheap. I stopped donating to charity shops because they over price things. I rather sell it to someone in need on vinted for a fraction of the price.

https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/retail

whole board of jobs for all the experts.

How do you know you are selling to “someone in need” ?

So why price it in such a way that it won’t sell. What’s the point in that. Benefits no one!!

bhf annual report
https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/annual-report-2023#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%2080p,donate%20to%20British%20Heart%20Foundation.

I think there are many reasons charity shops exist. One is obviously to raise money for charity. Another is so that people who can't afford new can still have stuff. Another is to stop the stuff ending up as landfill. Another is to make people take stock of the things they have and feel good and generous and lucky that they are in a position to donate things to those less fortunate. Another is to give people opportunities to volunteer and/or get work experience/gain confidence/become part of the community. Lots of reasons for charity shops, not just about making money.

The pricing is ridiculous though & will therefore put people off if they feel they can get a better deal elsewhere. 1 of my local shops sells branded goods they find on M&M direct for double the price (I overheard 2 of the workers talking about it). Another 1 is right next to a 'choice store' (old season next stuff) they try sell the 'Next' stuff for more than it's up for in Choice. I can't tell if it's genuine desperation for funds for the charity or just workers coming up with whacky ideas and rolling with it.

I volunteer in a charity shop here in Ireland. We would get a mixture of donations in regards to clothes. Some of our things would be good brand names, some designer and then Penney's/Primark or shein.
Our manager has the staff trained that only items in good condition are put out on the shop floor and the poor quality stuff is recycled. We price stuff according to brand and quality and brand new items sell for more.
In our town there are several charity shops and some of them either put out stuff that poor quality or they are charging to much for items. Our customers will tell us that X shop has poor stock or charging to much for particular items. We have a high turnover of stock and people come to us regularly because they know they get good stuff at a fair price. They will bring or tell their friends as well about us.

Yet we do get some people looking to buy things for half nothing or wanting a discount on say a good branded jacket for 25 euro that in great condition and would have been 100 euro plus when brand new. A charity shop is their to make money for the charity but if they have poor stock or charge high prices they won't sell as much or have the turnover to keep people calling in to see what they have for sale. Also having a good manager and nice staff is a help as well.

You are totally right, OP

On this thread people want

cheaper prices to support those in need,

use of volunteers but expert pricers

charity shops benefit from cheaper rates but would need to employ more staff and bigger premises to process the volume of goods to sell at lower prices

Complain that cheap stock is doldrums but also complain that poor stock is ragged

You cant please them all! As you say if they get it wrong they go out of business....

Ideally yes realistically no. They would make a loss. That's why some shops shut

And don't forget that anything sold is 100% profit!

There's no purchase cost no but not all staff are volunteers and there is non pay costs, and the cost of getting rid of poor stock
If it's so easy to be profitable why don't you all do it? Anyone can according to a previous poster!

In that scenario why wouldn't you buy the book from the charity shop? It's still cheaper, not to mention greener. It also puts the money in the hands of a charity rather than Amazon.