I Give Up On Goodwill
I am a Goodwill queen. Without even turning over a large chunk of time, I can pull out the best steals hiding on the racks. Silk shirts that would normally run me $60+ come to my closet for $3. Tweed skirts $5 instead of $50. And if I keep my eyes peeled, I can even snatch some of Target's designer collaborations from six months prior.
But I'm giving up my crown.
Goodwill's altered their pricing scheme with the base price now $5. On my recent trip to our brand new store, the only clothes that were at the base price were heavily used -- faded and pilled -- and oh-so-90s pieces. (At least at my in-law's Goodwill in Wisconsin, the worn items have been weeded out in advance.) Hoodies and non-shoulder-padded blouses were at least $10 and sometimes $20. Trouble is, $5 is the standard clearance price at TJ Maxx. While I'm all for shopping to help a cause, you need to at least be offering something comparable.
That Goodwill's charging even more for good vintage or anything they consider "boutique" isn't really new. Unfortunately, boutique usually means they recognize the label, thus they are pricing used tops from Walmart and Target for much more than those stores' sale prices. As a great sale shopper, there's no incentive to buy a $15 Merona dress used when I can get it for the same price new (and not have to shell out money to get it cleaned).
I still love shopping for thrift and vintage, but I think I'll stick with better edited collections from local vintage shops and Etsy purveyors.
Do you think Goodwill is pricing itself out of its market?
But I'm giving up my crown.
Goodwill's altered their pricing scheme with the base price now $5. On my recent trip to our brand new store, the only clothes that were at the base price were heavily used -- faded and pilled -- and oh-so-90s pieces. (At least at my in-law's Goodwill in Wisconsin, the worn items have been weeded out in advance.) Hoodies and non-shoulder-padded blouses were at least $10 and sometimes $20. Trouble is, $5 is the standard clearance price at TJ Maxx. While I'm all for shopping to help a cause, you need to at least be offering something comparable.That Goodwill's charging even more for good vintage or anything they consider "boutique" isn't really new. Unfortunately, boutique usually means they recognize the label, thus they are pricing used tops from Walmart and Target for much more than those stores' sale prices. As a great sale shopper, there's no incentive to buy a $15 Merona dress used when I can get it for the same price new (and not have to shell out money to get it cleaned).
I still love shopping for thrift and vintage, but I think I'll stick with better edited collections from local vintage shops and Etsy purveyors.
Do you think Goodwill is pricing itself out of its market?
Comments
Is this new pricing decision nation-wide? I haven't been into my Good Will for a few weeks, so I might've missed it... I must say, I'm definitely not as likely to stop in anytime soon, if it's a nationwide choice. How strange and definitely unwelcome!
They get the items FREE don't they? So they can keep 'em as far as I'm concerned, and we'll shop elsewhere.
I don't know whose idea this was but it's creating a negative vibe with a lot of shoppers and I hope they hear it.
Sarah
theantiquepearl.blogspot.com
Often, I'd find that my prices in my bonafide cute adorable real live vintage clothing store had lower prices than their stinky, dirty, ugly, crying-baby, obnoxious-customers-blocking-the-aisles...stores!
I love a good bargain too, but lest we forget that the proceeds from these items are going to people who need help.
And, like someone else said, I don't shop at chain thrift stores. There are other charity thrift stores that charge lower prices, because sometimes it's not just us "love a bargain" people that shop there, sometimes the people that need a break shop there too. (I work at a non-profit in Detroit that has an independent thrift store, just FYI).
St. Vincent de Paul stores still have pretty good pricing and a few independent thrift stores in my area are OK. I usually can find better prices (and a much better selection that's organized) at a local vintage shop or even Plato's Closet now.
Salvation Army is a way better place to go to, they don't need to jack up their prices to pay for stupid commercials.
So I say, forget Goodwill, I can go someplace else for my stuff and get it new!
suzy_09, when I had a more professional job, I could buy the nicer things, which are easier to spot on the crowded rack. Now that I need machine wash clothes, buying thrift is a pain.
Additionally, Goodwill needs to hire some decent marketing execs who can tell them that a large portion of their target market does not HAVE to shop there. Most people I know who love to shop at thrift stores could afford to shop at regular retailers. They like the goodwill for one reason: they like a bargain. It's like a treasure hunt for grownups! If you take that feeling of getting a great deal away from us, there is literally no appeal to the thrift store anymore.
I gave up on the "chain" thrift stores about 2 years ago. Seemed like all their prices had gone up and I found out, after asking a few employees, that they had started going through the clothing and pulling out vintage stuff and selling it to vintage stores, where obviously the prices are jacked up. I mostly go to smaller, independently run thrift stores now.