Charity Shops V. Bargain Chains

Fashion writer Lisa Armstrong wrote an article in the Times saying that Oxfam is none too keen to have donations from stores like H&M because the resale value of the clothes is too little to bother with. If you can buy it new for $6, they can only resell it for $1 -- not enough for Oxfam to bother with. I spoke to Oxfam and they told me that the stores are locally run, with their own standards. For instance, at the Notting Hill Oxfam that Lisa visited, they now only accept new baby clothes. But in other, less affluent areas, Primark clothes would be welcomed. As well as worn baby clothes.

Oxfam explained that in order to maximize revenues a store manager in, say, Teesside who was given a Dior dress should give that dress to a nearby shop in a more affluent area to get the best price. Very special items, like wedding dresses, are all sent to a central facility called the Wastesaver in Huddersfield where garments are sorted to be recycled if they are unable to be sold or redistributed to London, sold on-line or even put up for auction. So why can't the Notting Hill store send their discount chain store cast-offs and worn baby clothes to Wastesaver to be redistributed to less affluent areas? Fashionista had another idea -- ship the Topshop stuff to the U.S. where the label is only sold at Barney's.

But what I find interesting is that Oxfam now finds itself competing with these cheap high street chains for customers. One comment on the Times website said, "I've stopped shopping at Oxfam because it is cheaper to shop on the high street than it is there. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face." She doesn't seem to realize that the point of charity shops is not to provide cheap clothes to low income families. It is to raise money for their programs abroad. It is a bizarre sign of the times that most low income families would probably prefer to shop at a Primark and have new goods, while the charity shops have become more popular with fashionistas seeking finds and the ethically-conscious middle classes. Buying your clothes at charity shops now makes you feel more morally righteous than donating them.