CHARITY stores are traditionally a way to pick up donated items for a fraction of the original price.
But some shoppers say they are turning their back on buying charity used clothes, claiming they are “ridiculously expensive” and saying it is cheaper to buy from Primark.
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This comes at a time when Gen Z shoppers are increasingly favoring secondhand sites like Depop and Vinted, along with car boot sales, to Photograph create clothes that match the bag.
Several young shoppers took to social media to complain about expensive prices in charity shops.
Anna, who posts at @thecharityshopqueen, has uploaded several charity shop videos highlighting her “audacious prices”.
In a store, she found a fast-fashion Boohoo dress that cost £17, despite it being brand new for £22.
Anna was shocked and said, “How can they justify this?”
She was also unimpressed by some orange heeled sandals for £14 that cost £25 when bought new, and added: “I’d rather pay that and not have someone’s smelly feet in them.”
The charity shop genius said £5 would have been more reasonable.
In another video, she was surprised when a charity shop said it didn’t sell anything for less than £8, even items from H&M.
Anna isn’t the only shopper who has been questioning charity shop prices lately.
Bargain hunter Hope Bailey called out shops in Manchester saying: “Why are charity shops so expensive?”
She held up a belt and said, “10 pounds for this belt, that’s a whole hour’s work.”
Meanwhile, London-based influencer Lilly Whitfield said: “Someone tell me why charity shops are getting so expensive.
“I’m fully aware that we’re in a cost of living crisis, I understand… I’ve been shopping in charity shops since I was little because my mother didn’t have money to buy toys and clothes.
“I just don’t understand why these charity shops are suddenly charging so much money for items that aren’t even that high quality.
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Top charity shop tips for getting a bargain
Ross Dutton has been manager of Crisis’ charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity shop in Finsbury Park, London.
Choose your area – As a rule, the more elegant the place, the better the quality of the donated clothes.
Don’t stop there – If you see something you like, buy it as it will probably be gone when you come back
Beware of cut labels – Some of your favorite stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate unsold stock during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they have to cut the tags off the clothes.
Stay at home – Although some charities have their own website, such as Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell on dedicated eBay stores such as the British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains you would in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it might be worth checking out online too.
“I just want to start the conversation because… I started to notice that the prices are getting ridiculous.”
Many people have adopted X, formerly known as Twitterto participate in the debate.
One said: “When did charity shops get so expensive?”
A second added: “Charity shops have become strangely expensive.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
