Charity shops more expensive than mainstream shops.

[metalman]

Meanwhile, St Lukes seem to be living in a different country to the rest of us. Current rate of inflation is 0%, but the price of a CD in St Luke's Pinstone St. shop has suddenly leapt up from £1 to £1.25, an inflation rate of 25%. Even though this doesn't put them in the same league as Oxfam in Broomhill and the BHF, it's still enough to put me off buying one.

[orchid72]

Yes now you Can get new from pound land in hillsborough. Or saw some double CDs for £2 in Morrisons.

 

The donation centre have 4 CDs for £1.50 I think, or get to the Monday flea market on King St, town... from 50p

[ECCOnoob]

Blimey, here is me sitting here thinking that the whole point of buying from a charity shop was to help the charity fundraise and give a contribution.

 

Now I know clearly im all wrong. They are there to serve the needs of tight fisted locals going there as some form of bargain basement store.

 

How the hell can charity shops offer the same pricing as major supermarkets and national chain discounters. They have huge buying power, the have massive influence over suppliers, they retail deliberately priced loss leaders.

 

I can buy a second hand t shirt for £3 from a charity shop or a band new one from Primark for the same money. Of course the obvious thing to do would be to buy the new one and demand the charity shop lowers their price.

 

Hardly helping their "cause" is it. Charity shops pricing things at below Poundland or Primark levels would make their purpose totally worthless. Seriously, what would be the point of running a shop, paying the shop overheads, spending time filtering though the piles of crap people donate to find one or two sellable items, paying money to dispose of all the unsellable crap that people chuck in the bags, spending time to search and coordinate volunteers, spending time stocking and displaying the items all to make only a few quid each day.

 

Charity shops are an extension of their fundraising. Would people throw 2p into a charity tin or sponsor a fun runner 50p? I don't think so. Why seemingly do they expect the shops to bankrupt themselves then.

Edited April 17, 2015 by ECCOnoob

[Minimo]

Don't they say a thing is worth what someone is willing to pay for it? We all have the choice, buy it or walk away.

 

If too many people start walking away, prices have to come down.

[metalman]

How the hell can charity shops offer the same pricing as major supermarkets and national chain discounters. They have huge buying power, the have massive influence over suppliers, they retail deliberately priced loss leaders.

 

You don't think the fact that charity shops have their stock donated to them for nothing might allow them to do so then?

[ECCOnoob]

You don't think the fact that charity shops have their stock donated to them for nothing might allow them to do so then?

 

No.

 

Because unlike retailers charity shops have to spend a great deal of time and money going through all those donations to pick out things which are actually sellable. They have filer out to piles and piles of crap which is damaged, soiled, non compliant, unsafe. They have to spend money disposing of all those junked items. They don't have power or suppliers in order to provide bulk discounts or sell things deliberately priced as loss leaders in order to entice customers.

 

If people actually had an idea of what logistics are required to run a charity shop, they might appreciate why their prices are not always lower than a mainstream retailer.

[-Boomer-]

This gets me about charity shops and clothing especially. A few years back you could get a shirt for £2 and now they'd put a "Vintage" label on the same shirt and try to charge a tenner or more. What makes me laugh is people who think they can spot antiques in charity shops and make a bomb. I'm not saying they can't get a bargain but it's very unlikely. Charity shops have trained people looking for antiques and are always looking and pricing stuff up over the Internet.

[Plain Talker]

No.

 

Because unlike retailers charity shops have to spend a great deal of time and money going through all those donations to pick out things which are actually sellable. They have filer out to piles and piles of crap which is damaged, soiled, non compliant, unsafe. They have to spend money disposing of all those junked items. They don't have power or suppliers in order to provide bulk discounts or sell things deliberately priced as loss leaders in order to entice customers.

 

If people actually had an idea of what logistics are required to run a charity shop, they might appreciate why their prices are not always lower than a mainstream retailer.

 

They don't have overheads like wages (except for the managers) to pay out as they are mostly staffed by volunteers.

 

I'm not saying that they should offer goods for nothing, but they do seem to charge top dollar for what they sell, and play on the goodwill of the customers who want to support the charity.

[-Boomer-]

They don't have overheads like wages (except for the managers) to pay out as they are mostly staffed by volunteers.

 

I'm not saying that they should offer goods for nothing, but they do seem to charge top dollar for what they sell, and play on the goodwill of the customers who want to support the charity.

 

Exactly, look at Save the Children in Broomhill, £10 for a crummy old lightshade

[GLASGOWOODS]

I'm sure Loob posted on here that the Salvation Army,or Red Cross has a big posh head office in one of the most expensive property locations in London. One of the reasons why i refuse to donate anymore. The Sally Army was one of my preferred charities, not now.