What Happens With The Goods You Donate At Thrift Stores?

Thrift stores are known for their dirt-cheap pricing and quality products. Although the products are pre-owned, the stores don’t pay the previous owners to own these products. Rather, these products and used items are usually donated by the community.

Shopping at a thrift store is also fun. It’s like a treasure hunt that surprises you whenever you go shopping. Who knows what you may find on your next shopping trip to the nearest thrift store.

Having said that, have you ever given it a thought what happens to the goods you donate? Because the goods you buy, certainly don’t look like the ones you donate. In fact, they are in better condition!

So, let us understand what happens to your items once you donate them at thrift stores.

Refurbishing The Damaged Items

When you donate your belongings at a thrift store, their staff manually sorts out the good ones from the damaged ones. The good ones are sent for minor repairs and mends, like washing and sanitization.

On the other hand, the damaged ones are further sorted out. The ones that can be repaired are separated from the totaled ones. Of course, the totaled products are discarded to be recycled. Whereas, the ones that can be repaired are refurbished before they are put up on the shelf for sale.

Putting Up The Sale

The repaired and refurbished products are put up on shelves for sale. But there’s a catch. The products that are donated at any store, are not sold at the same place. This avoids any social conflicts between buyers and donors.

Moreover, the products are sold at stooped prices. As already mentioned, the products are not purchased but rather received as donations from the community. This allows, these thrift stores to sell, even the premium branded products at unbelievably low prices.

Revenue Is Used To Fuel Community Services

Since these stores sell the received goods, they do generate revenue from the sale. But unlike any other retail store, the generated revenue is not used for personal gains. For example, https://mersgoodwill.org/ uses the revenue to educate the underprivileged community members and help them secure handsome jobs. Simply put, these stores use the revenue to fuel social services.

Not only do they help the community, but they also provide employment to the needy. In fact, most of the staff members at any thrift store are usually neglected members of society.

There Are Other Expenses As Well

The staff members working at any thrift store have fixed wages. Moreover, there are expenses to be made in order to keep the store operational. All of these expenses are also covered up from the generated revenue.

Additionally, bills and maintenance costs are also to be paid. Which is again managed within the revenue generated. In other words, the revenue generated by any thrift store is used to operate the store smoothly, while giving back to the community as well.

With that being said, you can feel proud of your donations at a thrift store. Because your goodwill is put to the right use by helping the community in return.

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.