Review: Salvation Army Got Greedy
5524 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach
Such a disappointment. The Salvation Army thrift store on Virginia Beach Blvd is one of several thrift stores I visit. Over time, I noticed many disturbing trends including over-priced items, torn and stained clothing, and chipped ceramics priced the same as good ceramics. Needless-to-say, this thrift-store is not one of my first choices for shopping, which is sad considering the Salvation Army's positive mission. But when a store gets greedy and thinks it can hide behind a socially worthy cause and use the good name of it's organization to take advantage of customers, they hurt everyone involved.
Such a disappointment. The Salvation Army thrift store on Virginia Beach Blvd is one of several thrift stores I visit. Over time, I noticed many disturbing trends including over-priced items, torn and stained clothing, and chipped ceramics priced the same as good ceramics. Needless-to-say, this thrift-store is not one of my first choices for shopping, which is sad considering the Salvation Army's positive mission. But when a store gets greedy and thinks it can hide behind a socially worthy cause and use the good name of it's organization to take advantage of customers, they hurt everyone involved.
You must be wondering, what event set me off to give a bad review? Well, let's take the example of the Vintage Patio Snack Set (pictured on left). The Story: One day, I was shopping in this Salvation Army store on Virginia Beach Blvd. when I spotted a vintage snack plate set (matching bowls and cups) mint in the box. Not only was this a really cool find, but there were three boxes. Three mint in the box sets. The only problem was that they were over priced at $9.98. So, after a quick Internet search on my Continue Reading. . . |
smartphone (turns out the set is not rare, even in the box), I discover the they are not worth buying at $10 a pop because I would have to over charge my customers to sell these. Keep in mind pricing for an online vintage shop includes many factors starting with the rarity and condition of the items, then the time cleaning, photographing, editing, marketing, listing, also the fees, packing materials, and shipping. As a business owner, I know I cannot offer my customers a fair price on these snack sets.
At this point, I figure I've found yet another over-priced item at this store, one of many. Perhaps I should explain to those unfamiliar with this store's color coding. All items are over-priced and given a color price tag (this set is green), then later, they have sale days where everything "green" is half off. This pricing game seems rather silly because had the plates been fairly priced to start with, at the half-off price, then I might have purchased all three sets.
Now, can you see why the vast majority of items are marked up 50%? I leave this store empty handed more times than not. However, this over pricing is not the only reason I get so annoyed at this store. Besides the torn and stained clothing on the racks and broken items, they are greedy. Bottom line. Look what I found when I returned to the store a few days later. . .
At this point, I figure I've found yet another over-priced item at this store, one of many. Perhaps I should explain to those unfamiliar with this store's color coding. All items are over-priced and given a color price tag (this set is green), then later, they have sale days where everything "green" is half off. This pricing game seems rather silly because had the plates been fairly priced to start with, at the half-off price, then I might have purchased all three sets.
Now, can you see why the vast majority of items are marked up 50%? I leave this store empty handed more times than not. However, this over pricing is not the only reason I get so annoyed at this store. Besides the torn and stained clothing on the racks and broken items, they are greedy. Bottom line. Look what I found when I returned to the store a few days later. . .
The Greed: Wait, what is that plate and cup doing there on the shelf? Those are the same dishes from the Patio Snack Set. They are the same plates and cups that were inside the box! What the heck just happened here? Why would anyone take something mint in a box and break it up the set for sale? I know the price points were too high for my on-line store, but there are other customers / collectors out there who would have been thrilled to find those snack sets. But, now, they are spread all over the store, no box and individually priced. |
They are not even grouped / sold as a set. As I walk through the housewares section, I keep finding more plates and cups strewn around the shelves. And what's worse, the plates are priced at $2.99 each and the cups are priced separately, as well. Doing the math, the "set" of four plates and four cups is now priced at almost $15, no box. Just a few days earlier, they were $10 mint in the box. That's just greedy. |
And as a lover of vintage, I'm sad that the beautiful box with the fun, 1950s graphics is gone, probably in the dumpster out back. Here's the bottom line; this is a huge thrift store, and I always find something I'd like to buy, but I leave empty handed. That's not good business Salvation Army. Shoppers finding merchandise they want but leave the store without spending money due to a 50% (or more) mark up is bad business (also, the store gets its inventory for free, via donations. Free). Not only are the items overpriced, but the customer often finds broken and chipped items and stained and ripped clothing all at the same hiked up prices.
Other Reviews: There are other people who have noticed the same bad tactics by this specific thrift store. On the Yelp.com website, the Salvation Army on Virginia Beach Blvd has the following comments:
- CheOver priced, many items priced higher than buying it new . . . I quit going because the prices are about 3x what they should be" rri: "
- Stephanie: "I will say the prices here did seem a little higher than other places"
- Sasha: "How can a store of this size be so bad...disappointment! . . . everything is either stained, ripped, or smells"
- "They don't care for the customer, they care for that money"
- "Prices range from 'Hmmmmmm, that's fair' to 'Good God, that's insane'. I have no need for porcelain statues with the noses chipped off "
- "The thing that grabs my goat about this store is the special, glass-cased, rare and expensive item section . . . Here, you'll find stuff that has no reason being in a locked case with completely unwarranted, astronomical prices"
The Conclusion: My conclusion is just sadness. These type of thrift stores are there to offer the community low-price, shopping options, and, in return, the profits go to help each store's affiliated cause. Yet, stores like this Salvation Army on Virginia Beach Blvd are pricing themselves out of business by driving away customers with high prices, and like every bit of chipped pottery, broken cup, and stained shirt, they are bit-by-bit damaging the good reputation of all Salvation Army stores.
Color Code: Is getting rid of the color coded gimmick the answer? Nope. There are other thrift stores that use the color tags / sales days and are successful. Besides, did you know earlier this year they got rid of the colored sales tags and sales days? If you blinked, you might have missed this change as it was short lived. The major problem I saw when visiting the Salvation Army on Virginia Beach Blvd during this "improved" no-color days sales was they didn't reduce the prices. Derp. |
So everything was overpriced all the time with no hope of a good price (besides the 10% off on military and senior days). This attempt to get rid of the mark-up then mark-down scheme was such a failure we should all seriously wonder who's in charge of this very large thrift store?
In the end, you should continue to support your local Salvation Army, but I don't plan on visiting the Salvation Army on Virginia Beach Blvd very often. Empty-handed customers are bad for business, and we can only hope this store changes management soon. If I go here again, I'll take some snap shots of the damaged goods. . .if I can stomach going through clothing racks of stained shirts (shivers). Do you have a thrift store rip off story? Please share your story in the comments below.