{"id":703434,"date":"2026-05-30T02:44:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T02:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/703434\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T02:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T02:44:12","slug":"kiwi-thrifter-notices-worrying-trends-at-op-shops-across-australia-surprised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/703434\/","title":{"rendered":"Kiwi thrifter notices worrying trends at op shops across Australia: ‘Surprised’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having visited \u201chundreds\u201d of op shops across Australia<\/a> and New Zealand, Ritchie Wards considers himself a pro at nabbing a bargain<\/a>. But nowadays, bargains are getting harder to come by.<\/p>\n

It was something he noticed when visiting Perth recently from New Zealand while stopping by various charity stores<\/a> across the city.<\/p>\n

He said he was \u201csurprised by the high prices<\/a>\u201d of items he used to get for cheap, including \u201cbasics\u201d like shoes and clothing.\u00a0Up until two years ago he said \u201cyou could get these things for $5.\u201d<\/p>\n

City op shops are overpriced, rural towns are still cheap<\/p>\n

Ritchie lives in Featherston, a rural town<\/a> about an hour outside of Wellington. There, op shop prices \u201care still overall cheap\u201d he told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are run by local volunteers, who know the community. They will often give local families a good discount,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But in Australia, particularly in the cities \u2014 and even in cities across New Zealand \u2014 prices have \u201cgone up significantly\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have you noticed a change in op shops in recent years? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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A designer T-shirt was previously spotted at a Sydney Vinnies store priced at $350.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese shops are no longer the cheap place for lower-income families<\/a> to get a step up in life,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He thinks the issue is most apparent with the large charities, including Vinnies and Salvos, or Sallies in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re collecting for their national charities, rather than their local community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Plus, the closer to a tourist attraction or city centre, \u201cthe higher the prices,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more rural or in lower socio-economic areas, the cheaper and more affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are resellers the reason why op shop prices are high?<\/p>\n

During his latest visit to Australia, Ritchie visited 15 or so stores across Perth.<\/p>\n

He agrees with scores of others who say charity shop prices are now \u201con par with bargain brand shops<\/a>\u201d including Kmart.<\/p>\n

He also agrees that resellers have contributed to higher prices<\/a> in-store. He\u2019s even dabbled in it himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great fun,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I find many second-hand shops these days don’t like people buying items and then reselling them for a profit, as they want the profit for themselves,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

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Ritchie says prices in smaller community-run op shops are still reasonable, but bigger chains are no longer affordable.<\/p>\n

Vinnies NSW recently told Yahoo they\u2019ve noticed a change in their customer base in recent years.<\/p>\n

“We have been increasingly improving our offerings to appeal to a growing customer base of younger, more environmentally, socially and ethically conscious buyers who want to shop second-hand and see the proceeds of their purchases and donations help those in need,” they said.<\/p>\n

They also noted that \u201cpricing in Vinnies<\/a> NSW shops is determined by affordability for customers as well as the quality of the goods on sale.”<\/p>\n

Aussies notice significantly higher prices in op shops<\/p>\n

In recent years, frustrated Aussies have hit out at prices of some branded items<\/a>, often comparable to buying new online.<\/p>\n

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A pair of pre-loved R.M. Williams boots were being sold in a Salvos store for $400.<\/p>\n

In Ritchie\u2019s experience, there’s always one charity shop worker per store who tends to overprice items<\/a> or have \u201cunrealistic expectations\u201d of what something is worth.<\/p>\n

He can say this because he’s volunteered in many and he’s seen it first-hand.<\/p>\n

Last month a Tassie thrifter suggested op shop drop thier prices<\/a> to solve the issue of oversupply across their stores.<\/p>\n

Charitable Recycling Australia, which acts on behalf of the industry, previously explained that “charity shops will assess and sell suitable items” they receive.<\/p>\n

“Staff and\/or volunteers will price them according to what they feel is a fair price, and saleable to Australian consumers,\u201d CEO Omer Soker told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n