As an avid thrift shopper, I enjoy going to GoodWill at least once a week. I am constantly drawn to thrift stores because I enjoy what I buy and most importantly, the great prices. Lately, that has not been the case.
Because thrift shopping is becoming more popular in the fashion scene and especially with teens, places like GoodWill, The Salvation Army, and other small thrift shops have increased their prices drastically.
As of right now, The Salvation Army has the most expensive pricing compared to GoodWill and Red, White, and Blue; however, GoodWill’s prices are catching up, almost surpassing those of The Salvation Army.
These stores receive all of their merchandise through donations. They do not pay a cent for any of the clothes, furniture, electronics, books, or kitchenware they sell. Minus the costs of running and maintaining the store and paying their employees, thrift shops make pure profit off of the donated goods.
If thrift stores are increasing their prices, where does that extra money go?
At a local GoodWill, the fitting rooms have holes in the walls, and they are full of dust and filth. The bathrooms look as if they are never cleaned because the toilets have residue of urine and feces; the soap dispenser is empty, and the floor is also filthy.
If you take a look around the entire store as a whole, you can see the messed up walls and dirty floor as well as the battered clothing racks. Clearly, the money is not being spent on renovating the stores.
When I looked at what type of clothes are increasing in price, I noticed that basic t-shirts that would usually go for $0.99 are now $1.50 or more. Designer jeans that would normally go for $7 or $8–instead of the usual $4 or $6–are now up to $12. Shorts and skirts that were once $2.50 are now $4.50 or more, which is the same price as regular jeans.
When LookingFlyOnADime, a popular blogger, asked her local GoodWill branch in New York and New Jersey why there was such an increase in prices, GoodWill responded.
“As far as pricing goes, the stores’ profits support Goodwill’s mission–a dedication to providing opportunities to those outside the economic mainstream… While our stores serve to fund our programs and provide jobs for those otherwise facing barriers to the economic mainstream (including visible and non-visible disabilities), we also aim to provide an interesting array of like-new clothes at affordable prices at our Goodwill stores.”
“To do so, we rotate goods, run weekly sales and have a shoppers’ award program for frequent shoppers. Still, please remember every dollar you spend at Goodwill is put to incredible use, benefiting the less fortunate members of your community–in fact, 92 cents of every dollar supports direct service, whether to single mothers, people with disabilities, veterans, kids, or others in hard circumstances looking for an opportunity to create a better life.”
After seeing this response, it’s more understandable as to why the prices are increasing, but it doesn’t explain the lack of good conditions at the stores or the need to drastically increase prices.
