Value Village (Savers) Thrift store under fire for sky high prices

[inanna]

I'm a HUGE thrift store fanatic and have been this way long before it was ever trendy. Like many here in Canada, I've been wondering WTH is going on with the Value Village thrift store chain and their sky-rocketing prices.

Check out this FB discussion on Value Village's own page - the customers are LIVID:

https://www.facebook.com/ValueVillage/posts/10151113405583602

And note VV's completely useless response:

Value Village
October 19, 2012 ·

To our Facebook Community – Please know that your comments have been heard and that we are currently addressing your feedback. It will take time for us to determine the appropriate next steps, and we appreciate your patience as we will do our best to address all of your concerns.

If you would like to contact us directly, please email us: [e-mail]
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At the above link, if you scroll through the comments, you will see some of the insane prices people are referring to on the merchandise. There are even one or two snapshots of prices taken in store to prove the point. **The thread has been going for two or three years now. The most recent comments are near the bottom of the page.

VV is (or was) hugely popular here in Canada. The same chain is known as "Savers" in the US. For many, it was a lifeline of low prices that really helped to stretch the budget. As a single mom, I used to find it a lovely, inexpensive and productive way to spend a day out with my daughter: hit VV and shop for clothes, housewares, etc., and still have enough $$ left over to treat ourselves to a nice lunch before grabbing the bus home.

Of course, it wasn't just VV. The Goodwill, Salvation Army and also St. Vincent de Paul were also regular stops - and most of them still are: all quite popular in this town.

My thrift shop purchases are often a huge source of pride for me (as they are for many who get into the "habit&quot :

"Hey look at these gorgeous glass serving bowls! Three for six dollars!"

"I want to show you the ceramic cannister set I just got at St. Vinnie's for two bucks - and not a chip on any of them!"

And a huge score (for me anyway) was a very high end stainless steel roaster with rack, again for two bucks.

If it wasn't for thrift shops, I'd have far less in the way of kitchenwares, anyhow. For someone like me who loves to cook, they've been a godsend. My house is a very ecclectic mix of thrift (lots) and well thought out retail purchases (not so much). And believe it or not, most folks seem to like my style. I prefer having a home that does not look like anyone else's.

So I'm glad to see that consumers are speaking up and making their voices heard. VV's inventory is donated - like any other thrift store. They are having a tough time justifying the spike in prices: at one point they were claiming it was about cutting out the "middlemen" on places like Ebay and Etsy.

Not sure if anything will change on VV's end - but it has certainly changed on mine. I no longer shop there and will not unless the prices come down considerably.

More on this:

Why are Value Village’s prices getting so high?

After mining through hand-me-downs at Value Village to put together an original Halloween ensemble, a jarring realization occurred at the till: buying a new costume-in-a-bag elsewhere would have fared better. Value Village – you used to be cool. What happened?

This sentiment has been growing loud on the thrift store’s Facebook page, so much so that it caught the attention of Vancouver’s News1130. The page is inundated with comments from disgruntled consumers across North America about the thrift store’s rising prices over the last few years. Value Village’s prices have been under the scrutiny of journalists for a while – perhaps indicative of the journalists’ ‘lavish’ payroll.

Why are Value Village’s prices getting so high?

Contrary to popular belief, Value Village is not a charity; it is a private for-profit entity operating under a unique business model that was exposed in 1987 by the L.A. Times in this article. Basically, TVI Inc., the company’s registered name and formerly Thrift Village Inc., partners with local non-profit organizations and, through contracts, buys their donated clothing and household goods and then sells it at Value Village locations. The charities also get a share of the proceeds – but not the ‘lion’s share.’

<snip>

The anger being thrown on the Value Village Facebook page isn’t about the fact that donations to a charity are ending up at a retail store for profit, it’s mostly the fact that the $9.99 used tennis racket at Value Village will cost the same as a brand new tennis racket at, say, Walmart.

Value Village’s website claims that donations are value-priced and are set by a ‘Value Village team’ at the store levels. All questions pertaining to pricing were redirected to a Value Village regional manager of Vancouver and Vancouver Island, who then redirected all questions to their marketing department at the Value Village headquarters in Washington.

“Our team members are trained to price competitively with regard to other thrift stores and discount retailers and, on average, more than 90 per cent of the items on our sales floor are priced under 10 dollars,” says Sara Gaugl, marketing manager for Value Village.

cont'd...

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/11/why-are-value-villages-prices-getting-so-high/


God, I hate greed.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore prices have gone up a lot

And I've seen some of Goodwill's prices starting to creep up too.

[inanna]

2. Same here as well - except I have not been in the ReStore for a while.

The Goodwill's prices have risen some (which ticks me off) - but nowhere near what I saw last time I was in Value Village.

Thrift stores and all things "vintage" are quite trendy right now, and many are capitalizing on that. It's easy for some to get suckered if they don't know their prices. However, when "vintage" and "thrift" prices begin to rival (or exceed) the cost of buying something brand new, sooner or later logic does kick in.

It's starting to already, and the backlash will only continue to grow.

[tabbycat31]

4. I went to Habitat (and VV) to furnish an apartment

Habitat was insane. They wanted $200 for a couch that was clearly worn out (and looked like it lost a fight with Fido) and was probably 20 years old. I went in once and walked right out. For $200 I'll get a cheap futon new.

VV was a lot better--- I went on a half price Wednesday and I found an easy chair for $6 and microwave for $8.

[inanna]

5. VV has always had pretty good sales...

but here the other thrifts have far better ones.

And the VV here does not carry a wide selection of used furniture, but most of the others do, and the ReStore used to.

Looks like you found yourself a few good deals on sale. Good for you!

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. My favorite thrift store buyer-beware story to tell people is how I once

saw an used end table for sale at Salvation Army for the $30. It was nice little end table for sure, but you could get the exact same table brand new for 20 at IKEA. They overprice IKEA stuff like mad.

[inanna]

7. You're right about the overpriced IKEA merchandise at thrift stores

but that doesn't work on me because I'm a faithful IKEA catalog shopper. So I know those prices. But yes, some get ripped off.

In fact, I wait each year for the new IKEA catalog to come out, bookmark it, and pore over it endlessly, wishlisting about a 100+ items (mainly bedding, kitchen, storage/organization related)...before I wind up buying about oh...about 3 things in total. LOL!

It's so bad my sister and I are planning a vacation to Ottawa based upon IKEA shopping (at an actual IKEA store)!

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Most get ripped off unless they are faithful IKEA shoppers.

I'd be spoiled if I was a big IKEA fan (I like their little things but not their furniture). There's an IKEA store right down the road here.

You will have a blast.

[Mosby]

6. TVI is a good company

They pay their employees well and their non-profit partners.

They most certainly have a cost of goods unlike Goodwill and others.

Pricing decisions are made at the store level, if something is overpriced ask a manager or supervisor to take a look, prices can be modified.

Also keep in mind that they (like Goodwill) have sales that offer significant discounts, like dollar day and 50% off sales.

[pugetres]

9. I love VV.

Discovered them a couple of years ago when I moved to WA state. I don't remember seeing them in SW MO.

I'm guessing that VV did listen to the customers? The prices aren't as high as the old (2012) article and facebook link indicate. I usually find a bargain or two when I stop in.