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.

I agree with the pp who pointed out that charity shops used to serve a dual purpose; raising money for charities, and providing a source of affordable goods to people in poverty. People objecting to the fact that this has changed aren't doing anything wrong, however irrationally angry it makes you. Nobody likes being ripped off, and it's particularly galling to be ripped off by an establishment that used to be a part of the solution rather than the problem.

On your point about charity shops closing down if customers vote with their feet; they are closing down more frequently than ever, certainly where I live. Many don't last long, and it does tend to be the ones with preposterous prices that fail.

I absolutely agree with this. It’s a shame we don’t have more of these type of services. Then people, I am sure would choose to donate there instead.

Where I live, they definitely have become overpriced, I so agree with pp about Primark stuff, which I've seen on sale at prices higher than the original store price. Also just because it's Boden or similar, doesn't mean it's worth £20 when it's ten years old and tatty.

What used to be my favourite charity shop refuses donations for half of the week because their storage is full. Maybe if they priced items realistically they'd have a faster or higher turnover. I don't think that just because they're charity shops mean they owe us as customers, any favours, but a sense check of sold prices on Vinted might be an eye opener for their managers.

YABU mainly because the "you mustn't criticise anything because it's for charity" argument started to look old around the time of Jimmy Savile.

I would argue charity shops damage the local economy because as big organisations heavily subsidised by tax incentives they can afford high street rents and this makes things much harder for small retailers. They should have a duty to the community as well as their own profit line - and sell things for affordable prices.

Most charity shops sell valuable items online and the shopfront just exists as a brand extension to promote donations/gift aid - that's why they are full of bobbly tat. I think there should be a limit to how many charity shops there are on the high street - we have 5 and we are a fairly affluent area (£12 for a Florence & Fred polyester dress? No ta.)

I also think that charity shops have two aims - making money for the charity, of course, but also providing people who don’t have much money the opportunity to buy things they need, but otherwise couldn’t afford.

I think there is another aim also as some people get a lot out of doing voluntary work in them.

I don't shop in them because they're expensive but obviously they are free to charge what they like. Some near me have closed down recently so I guess other people see them as too expensive as well.

@Notmetoo - I have seen posts from people who work in charity shops, who say they have got massive amounts of donated stock in storage, but because their prices are too high for the neighbourhood, they don’t turn over the stock. If they lowered their prices, they would turn over the stock more quickly, use up more of their stock from the back room/storage, and this would make the shop more attractive to customers - no-one wants to go into a shop to see the same old stuff every time - so they could make more money by pricing things more cheaply and having a faster turnover.

As I said earlier, I also think that charity shops have a dual purpose - to raise money for the charity and to provide a source of affordable items for people on low incomes.

@JFDIYOLO that’s lovely , that’s how it should be. Sadly I had the opposite experience, a lady in front of me in the queue in a charity shop with a newborn in a sling, trying to convince the lady behind the counter to reserve a scratched up plastic baby bath for another day because she was 50p short. The woman was having none of it ‘we don’t reserve things’ . Obvs i paid the 50p, and I do remember the charity , it was EMMAUS.

It's not "poor business sense" if they actually manage to sell things at a higher price than new. It's actually very impressive they can achieve that!

Disagree entirely. My mother had literally no money when raising me so she relied on second hand shops for all our clothing, homeware etc. Items weee priced for those in need. The prices today are ridiculous and are out of reach for those who truly need it.

@JFDIYOLO , I saw something similar in a local charity shop. Someone who looked a bit like they had some issues (homeless, I think) came into the shop and the manager gave them a coat without asking for money. Shop was Scope.

I’m not sure why, when I was annoyed by responses on other formats, I didn’t realise starting this thread would also annoy the crap out of me😂.

Clearly I’m just on my own planet with my thought.

For the record though for the repeated “it doesn’t mean you can criticise charity shops” comments (and the random link to Jimmy Saville), I’m not saying you cannot criticise them. I’m saying a lot of people don’t seem to realise most run to make money and pricing/marketing is based on an actual strategy.

But charity shops run like any other shop.
Yes. They but special dispensation with rates and most of their staff are volunteers so their costs are massively lower than other shops. But just like other shops, even with the special favours they get over other High St shops, they will go bust if they can't run as a business - and that includes realistic pricing.

My experience with charity shops is that 49% is well-priced, 49% is way over priced because someone's far too much of an optimist/way out of touch with the rest of the High Street, and 2% is way under-priced because they don't know what they're selling. I've had some great bargains hunting for the 2%, and some good chuckles at the ridiculously over-priced tat.

Lots of charity shops in our town have closed down. They did exactly what other posters are saying - bobbly old fleeces, Primark t shirts, etc for about the same price as they cost new. Also you'd see the same things on the racks all the time and when I donated good quality stuff I never saw it out. We have a Salvation Army that always seems busy and that has fair prices.

I think this is true. There are 3 charity shops near me, one overprices, so £30 for a 10 year wool cardigan, one is reasonable but not very exciting, one is staffed by a lovely manager who prices things reasonably and you can still pick up a bargain. That’s the one I use most and the one I also donate to.

Although my daughter bought a skirt from a charity shop last week that actually cost more than it did when it was in Primark new!

Just saying 🤷‍♀️

It's the choice of the charity shop how they price their stock.

It's my choice not to bother looking anymore when it's the same stuff that hasn't shifted week in week out. It's my choice not to donate to shops that (imo) overprice and fail to shift stock as I want my donations to find a new home and actually be used by someone.

Charity shops sometimes get new items donated free from companies and these products tend to be vastly over priced.
Our local Barnardos had some nice new ceramic pots donated and priced quite expensive. Months later they are still sitting on the shelf.
Maybe if they reduced them to a more realistic price they would sell.
Bearing in mind they get all their stock donated free 😉

I don’t recognise the Primark top at higher than new model but if I did see that, I’d just ignore it.

I love a charity shop mainly for the recycling element. So much fast fashion which is binned after a few wears. In a charity shop I can give a garment or toy or book a new life.

I actually also appreciate the accessibility ~ in our town so many retail outlets have closed and I hate online shopping and returns. Charity shops allow the browse and buy model.

I don’t mind £15 for a Boden dress or £25 for a Mint Velvet coat ( both recent buys). I’m not looking for bargain basement, I’m looking for recycling, convenience and the ability to buy locally and support a local charity. And I frequently donate too. I think it’s a great model and long may it continue.

The 'it will close down if it doesn't make any money' rehtoric only works for businesses being run as such. Instead what you will see is charity shops that are subsidized by other forms of donation or takings from shops in more affluent areas. I would not be happy to know my donation of cash, money left in a will, or fundraiser money was being added to the pot and then used to prop up the lease of a rental unit on the other side of the country that was run at loss or limping along.
Also charity shops used to exist in two way relationship, people who grew up with little money (myself included) would shop there as a means to an end, because it was very reasonably priced in comparison to new. Anybody with enough money to buy new wouldn't. So maintaining low prices that are cheaper than Primark and other fast fashion was better for the environment, low income households and the charity. Expecting people to buy second hand when they can get the same items new in Primark, or very cheaply from places like eBay, vinted and Facebook marketplace, is never going to work. People on low income won't shop at a charity shop just to support the charity, and will go (quite sensibly) where they can get more, better quality items for their money.

Agree with you OP.

People making these kind of criticisms are either ignorant or stupid or both.

There’s a charity shop bashing thread on here every other week.
Based on the comments nearly every shop sells a bobbly primark jumper for £8, the staff get all the good stuff for tuppence and the managers are clueless.

You are correct that there’s a lot of misconception about the purpose of charity shops - I’ve seen lots of comments on mumsnet along the lines of “I don’t buy from charity shops because I’d be stopping someone who is poor from accessing the clothes”.

Completely ridiculous… if you’re poor you’re probably working long hours and need to buy clothes quickly and cheaply. Primark or vinted would be much more efficient. You probably don’t have the leisure time to browse around charity shops and find one pair of child’s trousers at a time.

And as has been mentioned, that’s not the purpose of charity shops.

I don't know what you're on about OP. I'm in London and went in to drop off DCs toys and games yesterday and found 3 new (with tags) M&S bras in my size for £2.99- I bought 3! And I also found two new dresses from Masai and Sahara for £10 and £18! I'm chuffed to bits! There are some shops locally that sell bobbly, stained tat for £5+ but no one buys it. I'll tell you what's missing from charity shops locally though- some good ol' fashioned bric-a-brack! Nowhere has anything worth buying anymore :(