Charity Shops getting cocky with their prices.

Idiophreak

Pollycat wrote: »

That's where charity shops have lost the plot - imho - pricing items realistically, based on their original price.

I think you're expecting a lot of the shop staff. These people aren't industry experts, they're untrained, often uninterested, people who see one white cardigan for £12 and see another and assume it would be worth roughly the same...so some stuff's going to wind up being mismarked. ETA: And people rarely complain when they find something marked at a fraction of its value for the same reasons...

Of course, there's a certain irony, anyway, that many of these charities work to end child labour and exploitation by selling Primark goods - when Primark themselves are famous for achieving their low prices with..err..."lapses" in this area.

hollydays

Charityworker wrote: »

I'm the manager of a charity shop. We sell all our items at 50p or £1.00 and if they have been on the shelves a while we put them in a "fill a carrier bag for £1" section. Hardly anything goes to be recycled. We have 1 paid member of staff (by law) who gets the minimum wage of £6.31 an hour for just 16 hours a week. The rest of the staff are volunteers. We have no other paid staff at all. All charities have some paid staff. Volunteers are not reliable or knowledgeable enough which is why the majority cant get paid jobs. We pay £12,000 a year rent and we get no reductions on utility bills.

Have you thought of encouraging these staff to study for an nvq?

Pollycat

Idiophreak wrote: »

I think you're expecting a lot of the shop staff. These people aren't industry experts, they're untrained, often uninterested, people who see one white cardigan for £12 and see another and assume it would be worth roughly the same...so some stuff's going to wind up being mismarked.

I base my comments of the fact that I've seen a number of posters in a variety of charity shops asking for staff for specific duties - including pricing.

I really do doubt that many charity shop volunteers wouldn't know that Primark is a very cheap source of clothes.
And it's Primark stuff that is usually priced too high for what is is.

Idiophreak wrote: »

ETA: And people rarely complain when they find something marked at a fraction of its value for the same reasons...

I've actually pointed out a few items in various shops that have been priced very low, 'designer' items that didn't look that special and said maybe they should consider increasing the price.

But - I'm a charity shop regular and know a lot of assistants by face - so they are usually grateful for the 'heads up'.

Idiophreak

Pollycat wrote: »

I've actually pointed out a few items in various shops that have been priced very low, 'designer' items that didn't look that special and said maybe they should consider increasing the price.

That's very good of you - but I bet for every one of you there's a thousand people going "I got such a bargain at the weekend...."

hollydays

I too point out underpriced items , sometimes get thanked, sometimes meet indifference or a blank look.It depends on the abilities of the volunteer to interact with the public.

Pollycat

Idiophreak wrote: »

That's very good of you - but I bet for every one of you there's a thousand people going "I got such a bargain at the weekend...."

Thank you.

And I don't buy stuff to sell on ebay either. :A

If I've asked for a reduction for a mark that may or may not come out, I have actually gone back into the shop later and put the extra money in the box after washing the item. :T

Idiophreak wrote: »

Have to say, I find people in charity shops invariably rude, miserable so-and-sos.

The Mrs and I keep quite a tidy house, so frequently sort through everything and put some stuff in a pile for charity - barely worn clothes, new board games that we never play etc...books in good condition. All stuff that should be easy to sell on again....but you take it to any of our local charity shops and they look at you like you're scum, giving them more work to do. Not a thank you, not a smile...

Honestly, it's a much nicer experience going to the tip, so mighty tempted to just start sticking it all in landfill.

I meant to comment on the above post.

I always used to take my donations to British Heart Foundation, both my parents had open-heart surgery.

One day, I'd struggled on the bus with 2 large bags full of decent clothes - M&S, Per Una, Next, Wallis etc - and when I got into the shop and asked where to put them, the woman said "Dump them there".
No smile, no 'Thank you'.

I replied "Tell you what, I'll drop them off at the Save the Children across the road. How's that for you?".

That was the last time they ever got any of my donations.
All my stuff now goes to the local Hospice shop, they are very grateful.

I have a large bag full of books (Lee Child, David Baldacci etc) plus 2 unworn Next jackets and several pairs of M&S linen trousers plus 2 pairs of lightly worn shoes - and still going through my wardrobes.

It costs nothing to be pleasant.

hollydays

Pollycat wrote: »

I base my comments of the fact that I've seen a number of posters in a variety of charity shops asking for staff for specific duties - including pricing.

I really do doubt that many charity shop volunteers wouldn't know that Primark is a very cheap source of clothes.
And it's Primark stuff that is usually priced too high for what is is.



I've actually pointed out a few items in various shops that have been priced very low, 'designer' items that didn't look that special and said maybe they should consider increasing the price.

But - I'm a charity shop regular and know a lot of assistants by face - so they are usually grateful for the 'heads up'.

Your twisting what is being said.
It's more that some charity shop workers neither have the time nor the inclination , to do a bit of mental arithmetic- " oh this probably cost x so ill price it at y" on every single item they price. There is no formula.

In an ideal world there would be one knowledgeable person always on duty who could only do the pricing for consistency , but charity shop managers aren't the best managers as we can see on this thread

hollydays

I too recently took some stuff to a shop , I happened to have some stuff in my car, I wanted to get rid of. I too got a thoughtless" put it there" , no thanks at all. I was a bit miffed, I noticed the manager was not in that day Nd it looked like the two volunteers , neither very young or very fit and healthy, were clearly struggling with he influx of stock , plus they clearly didn't have the Cs skills! But I put it down to poor training, I doubt they meant to be rude but they were . I too find this common in charity shops.

Pollycat

hollydays wrote: »

Your twisting what is being said.

Am I?
Actually, I'm stating my own opinion based on my own experience.

hollydays wrote: »

It's more that some charity shop workers neither have the time nor the inclination , to do a bit of mental arithmetic- " oh this probably cost x so ill price it at y" on every single item they price. There is no formula.

Some may have no time nor inclination, but I've been in enough charity shops over the years to realise that not all similar types of clothing are priced the same - which makes sense.

hollydays wrote: »

In an ideal world there would be one knowledgeable person always on duty who could only do the pricing for consistency , but charity shop managers aren't the best managers as we can see on this thread

Some charity shop workers (of which some would be managers)- in my personal experience - do spend a lot of time in the shop so in those shops I can't see why consistent (or I would call it 'sensible' based on the origin of the item) pricing can't be applied.

adouglasmhor

I got a nice thank you for a bag of men's shirts, a pair of shoes, and two men's jackets donated to AGE Scotland in Union St Glasgow the other day.

They belonged to a fat man I used to [STRIKE]be[/STRIKE] know :rotfl: