Moan of the Week – Charity Shop Prices

Thatcham has several charity shops – Scope and Help The Aged (in the Kingsland Centre) and Sue Ryder in the Broadway.

I have no problem with charity shops making money, after all, that is why they have shops for these charities.  However, prices in charity shops seem to have recently gone through the roof! 

You can buy books for 50p each in one – you go across the road to another shop and will have to pay several pounds.  Clothes and shoes prices seem to vary considerably – depending on which shop you are in and what label may be on the item.  

With the Clothing Warehouse just down the road (towards Newbury), run as a money making business and not a charity, selling shoes and clothes for less, it’s understandable that charity shops are being given the cold shoulder.

Heading in towards Newbury, I am reminded of a phrase someone once told me: “if a shop has wooden hangers – you’re unlikely to afford their prices”.  There is a certain charity shop that this relates to – and I’m not surprised that this seems to be one of the few charity shops that has lots of space inside!

Maybe these charity shops are just trying to cover their rental costs, maybe they’re trying to cover lower footfall – or maybe their footfall is up and they are just trying to make more money for the charity. 

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.