Charity Shop Over-Pricing
Other
I went into a charity shop yesterday and it had on the door 'not taking donations at the moment' due to to high stock levels. Anyway I saw some unbranded trainers that looked quite nice in my size with only light wear and was expecting a price of perhaps £6-10 and they probably cost new £25 or less. The price of the trainers were £25. I totally get they have the right to charge what they like but I have big feet so its a rare size. I've still paid less than £10 on Amazon for similar trainers new on offer only recently. Just seems a lot to me. It's like because Nike charge £150 for trainers they think £25 is cheap.
However in other parts of the charity shop pricing was more reasonable in fact it was completely random what they charged for stuff. A used slow cooker was £40 and I think I've seen it new for a lot less. Charity shop pricing can be seriously weird but I always think over-pricing can be extremely damaging to overall trade. If I go into a shop and see over-pricing I make a mental note about it and if time is short will not look in that charity shop or look more quickly in there expecting prices to be unrealistic.
It was a charity too that I like to support and I can never face trying to haggle in a charity shop, it just feels wrong.
The other day I went into a charity shop and a book that they had been trying to charge 5 pounds for was moved to the 50p box so I bought it. I would have been prepared to pay 2 pounds in the past but 5 pounds was more than it cost online. So anyway I got it for 50p as obviously it had been sitting on the shelf a long time. However that shop seems to have had a change in management and suddenly a lot of prices are more reasonable.
I don’t think they research any of the items when working out a price. I donated some very expensive dresses and seen one in the window with a £5 price tag. If they had have looked it up, they would have charged a lot more, £80-£100 and anyone knowing the brand would have snatched it up at the higher price
I dont think they research prices when they sell things. £40 for a used slow cooker? I saw a 3.5L brand new slow cooker at ASDA for £14 just the other day.
Emerge11 It was a branded slow cooker, Tower I think but nowadays that brand is slapped on generic Chinese products anyway. I bought a Tower vacuum cleaner of ebay and it worked out at about £18 I think although I think Very were selling it for £90 new. Mine was a customer return.
Most shops go off what people are charging on eBay and when I worked them I kept saying this is what people want they need to start looking at the shop prices like someone donated 15 pairs of ugg boots the first thing the manger did was say £40 a pair I said she's having a laugh first some was fake she couldn't tell the difference I could so I said she wants a quick sale and everything that's donated is a profit I said put them at £15 each and I'm not lying within a hour a ladie came in looked and said my sister in law is that size and phoned her I sold the lot yes I understand it's a business and they have things to pay but at the end of the day everything is a profit
I remember when charity shop clothing was £1 and £2, same as charity furniture shops, you can buy new for some of the prices they charge for used
I remember going to London once and near the centre there was a charity shop , i could not believe how much they were asking for clothes etc, three times what they would charge in my local charity shop
So i suppose location is another factor to do with prices
Personally I don’t go in charity shops but a friend loves going in searching through their bric a brac and she told me they’re getting more expensive. I suppose the managers wages have increased and general utility bills too.
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