Yahoo Finance Aussie's Kmart shock in op shop: 'More than if you bought it new'
Lachlan hit out at the op shop for charging customers $1.50 more for a second-hand black t-shirt.
An Australian shopper has called out Vinnies for selling a Kmart t-shirt for a higher price than it was originally sold for. Many go to op shops to land a bargain, with some even scoring designer brands for a fraction of their original price.
Shopper Lachlan was not pleased when he found a black Anko t-shirt at the thrift shop for $6. That's because at Kmart they retail for $4.50.
"A dollar fifty more than if you bought it new," he said.
Vinnies told Yahoo Finance why you might find price tags that seem high.
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“Pricing in Vinnies Shops is determined by affordability for customers as well as the quality of the goods on sale," a spokesperson for St Vincent de Paul Society NSW said.
"Our shops use a simple pricing guide based on research on value in the general second-hand marketplace and the quality of the garment."
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The spokesperson added that Vinnies tries its best to "price all products as accurately as possible" however sometimes it "might not get it right".
"There are times when we mistakenly price one item but this gets rectified quickly, and there are always plenty of other options for our customers to choose from in our stores," they said.
Vinnies said money made through its more than 660 op shops in Australia is used for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s services for people doing it tough.
Aussies fuming over the inflated T-shirt price
Lachlan's TikTok video was flooded with angry comments from people fed up with being squeezed for every dollar they have, particularly from a store claiming to be affordable.
"I have purposely stopped donating to charities like Vinnies and the Salvos," wrote one person.
"I've approached workers at the op shops and told them that they are pricing things more expensive than brand new. I was actually asked to leave the shop," said another.
"Vinnies has been the biggest joke for ages," added a third.
But others defended the charity and some who have volunteered at a Vinnies also jumped in to explain what happens behind the scenes.
"When will people realise Vinnies use the profits from these shops to do the charity work it’s pretty simple," replied a TikTok user.
Another commented with: "I'm a volunteer at Vinnies - pricing depends on the shop/management - we have a rule at mine - anything Kmart (Anko) branded is $1 or 50c. So I can assure you not every store is like this, hate to see it."
Op shops don't appear to be the bargain spot of yesteryear
This isn't the first time an Aussie op shop has been called out for having seemingly high prices.
Melbourne mother-of-six Nicole Preece couldn't believe her eyes when she saw some of the price tags at her local Salvos store.
In one video, she called out jeans priced at $28, paintings at $25 and drumsticks for $15.
There was a Vinnies recently criticised for selling a T-shirt for $350, while in Perth a woman found a $32 Glassons dress at a Red Cross store at the same time that a similar item was available on the brand’s website for $29.
In Brisbane, another customer said it was "outrageous" to sell a pair of second-hand pants for $25.
Dr Andrew Hughes from the Australian National University told Yahoo Finance some of the prices at these stores do seem unusually high lately.
“I think they're taking advantage of people to be honest when they’re getting a lot of their stock for no cost or very little cost because people donate to charity bins or leave items out or give directly into their stores,” Hughes, a business and economics lecturer, explained.
“But what I've noticed changing with charity operations is that they’re doing a lot more retail marketing and benchmarking to their competitors – which aren’t other charity shops, they’re Kmart, Target, Big W and Best and Less.
“They’ve realised an item's value and are charging open market prices, not prices which might be more reflective of the fact that some of their customers might be people in desperate need and can’t afford to pay that price.”
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