Is Goodwill becoming more expensive?

Lately, there has been a lot of criticism on social media about the rising prices at thrift stores. Goodwill in particular has been hit.

In a viral tiktok videoA woman who goes by @beccaboomm leads viewers around the store, pointing out ridiculously overpriced Goodwill items.

“There’s been a drop at Goodwill lately,” she says, and we definitely agree when she shows us a new tank top with tags that had a list price of $2.98. But Goodwill has set its price – $4.99.

another tiktok buyer Horrified to find a pair of jean shorts from Ross with a $7.99 clearance tag, but Goodwill prices them at $8.99. and on redditBuyers come together to comment on the high prices they received.

This rising price trend has been described in several news articles, detailing complaints from shoppers who used to find $2 shirts at Goodwill and are now paying three or four times as much.

so, Is Goodwill increased prices? Not entirely, says Bill Parrish, senior consultant in donated goods retail for Goodwill Industries International. He told the Wall Street Journal Individual store operators price the goods as per their wish. But he did say that each store owner adjusts pricing periodically “to ensure they are consistent with the value of the range of merchandise offered.”

Possible reasons for price increase

However, prices have risen locally, and industry experts have their own explanations.

“Costs of operations, including rent, utilities and wages, have increased over time,” said Casey Jones, founder and head of marketing and finance at Australian digital marketing company CJ&CO. told yahoo finance, He also noted that “demand for affordable goods has increased… which could push prices up.”

In fact, that last reason is the one most experts have latched onto. The irony is that TikTok itself is part of the problem. An influx of young (mostly Gen Z) shoppers have taken to social media to showcase their thrift stores to a large following. Many of these thrifty people buy cheap clothes to resell at higher prices on sites like Depop, ThredUp, and Poshmark. For a few years now, they have been buying a lot of inventory and making profits for themselves.

And some industry analysts suggest that Goodwill has caught wind of this phenomenon and is taking steps to recoup some of that lucrative yield.

In this video, which is fairly typical for clips posted by young shoppers, @courtneyjthrifts introduces herself as a full-time reseller who is thrilling viewers with her. But although she’s clearly been doing this for a while (and has made several such videos), even this intrepid capitalist is starting to see Goodwill cut into its profits.

She complains that Goodwill is “getting outrageous, so I don’t buy much.” But he bought a pair of jeans at a lower price, thinking “he might get enough to make them worthwhile” – and found a few other items at lower prices, too.

my goodwill experience

As a frugal buyer, I have read these accounts and agree with the rising prices. But in my own experience, local consignment shops like Uptown Cheapskate and Plato’s Closet are the shops with great low prices. I hadn’t noticed the Goodwill trend.

That said, shoppers like @beccaboomm are apparently experiencing sticker shock at Goodwill. So I wondered, has my local Goodwill been “going haywire lately”?

I came over Labor Day weekend to sample the merchandise. And I found many items that were definitely much more expensive than how much I could buy them for new elsewhere.

Earlier that morning, I was shopping the Labor Day weekend sales event at Target. I stock up on new t-shirts during sale events like this and Target was selling it Universal Threads V-Neck For $8, in a variety of colors and sizes.

When I got to Goodwill, I saw the same Universal Threads T-shirt, white, size medium, selling for $6.24. It was a better price than buying it new at Target – but not by much. And even though the shirt wasn’t on sale at Target, the regular price was just $10. Why would I want to buy this shirt that definitely looks worn?

Jennifer Kizer / Don’t Waste Your Money

I also saw an old navy long-sleeve, waffle knit shirt at Goodwill for $6.24. It had some wear left and was a good buy for the price. But I took a quick look online and found a similar Long Sleeve Waffle Knit Shirt at Amazon In a variety of colors and sizes for $9.99 (just $3.74 more), plus free shipping for Prime members. I can get it brand new and in the color and size of my choice.

Jennifer Kizer / Don’t Waste Your Money

In another area of ​​the store, I found some 100-sheet composition notebooks that were being sold for $1.09. This time of year, they are having sales at Office Depot and Walmart for 50 cents each,

Jennifer Kizer / Don’t Waste Your Money

And as I was wandering around the home goods store, I saw a plain white pillow that was on sale for $5. A quick check of Amazon showed me that I could get a set of two plain white pillows Same size for $9.99. In other words, I could have bought it for the same price – but new.

Jennifer Kizer / Don’t Waste Your Money

That said, I feel the need to protect goodwill – at least my goodwill. As I checked the prices on the various items, it became clear that someone had been asked to set the same price on all the shirts. For some shirts, $6.24 was a great deal; For others, it was a hoax. The same rule applied to all departments. For example, throw pillows were uniformly $5. Maybe the plain white ones weren’t a steal at that price, but I’m sure there were some spectacular ones.

At this Goodwill location, I don’t think there is any nefarious plan to make it harder for customers to find good affordable deals. They’re carrying a lot of merchandise, and they’re busy intake, sorting, and maintaining inventory. So, perhaps to save time, they keep the price of all items in a certain category the same.

Another dynamic at play is the rise of fast fashion (and other “fast” industries, like fast furniture). You can go to Sheen or Temu and buy a lot of things online at very low prices. That $6 shirt at Goodwill doesn’t look the same as it used to.

Still, if you’re a treasure hunter, there are still gems to be found at Goodwill. During this same shopping trip, I found three pairs of new Chico’s sandals for $5.99 each. Although they are no longer being sold at Chico’s, based on past pricing data from that store, the original price was certainly at least $30 each. And don’t forget, the money raised by Goodwill goes to good causes,

And as TikTok complaints continue to grow, perhaps the more expensive Goodwill stores will start seeing slower business — causing prices to drop again.