A second-hand clothing store has been criticised by a shopper who spotted the exorbitant price of a designer jacket.
The Brisbane woman was shocked by the $850 price tag on the Burberry jacket at a second-hand shop near her home and asked: “Who shopping at a second-hand shop could afford that?”
The checked wool blazer from the designer label’s Summer/Spring 2020 collection sold for around €2,300 in Europe, or $3,850 Australian, when it first launched.
Its price on online marketplaces has since plummeted to around A$1,150, making it even more expensive than the price in second-hand stores.
Several Australians said the price reflects the skyrocketing cost of second-hand items, both in charity and for-profit shops.
One Facebook user said customers who can only afford cheaper second-hand items have been left behind.
“This is not like before, when the poorest were the ones who could buy and get deals,” wrote one Facebook user.
‘You can also go to a retail store and you’ll be able to buy most things cheaper.’
A Brisbane woman has slammed her local second-hand store for pricing a Burberry jacket (pictured) at $850 as people online lamented how expensive second-hand stores have become.
Other Australians argued that the less fortunate were not looking for a Burberry jacket and that vintage clothing resellers had ruined the market.
“You do realize there are people who scour thrift stores for items for their own stores,” one user wrote in a comment on a Yahoo article.
‘They wouldn’t hesitate to put more money on their labels, so why not sell them in a charity shop?
“And I’m sure the donor would like the charity to get as much as they can for their clothes.”
Another said that those who ‘fall in love’ with reasonably priced designer items are those who can’t ‘make a profit when they sell them’.
“The money they earn at the store goes to those in need, those in need don’t necessarily go there to do their shopping,” they wrote.
The designer label’s blazer (pictured) was part of its Spring/Summer 2020 collection and originally retailed for around €2,300 in Europe, or $3,850 Australian.
A Salvos store came under fire last week after a shopper found a pair of used RM Williams boots for $400 despite them costing $649 new.
“This is disgusting. This is supposed to be a store to help people. It’s getting ridiculous,” one wrote.
“Robberies in broad daylight. They get everything for free and sell it at ridiculous prices. Sometimes it’s cheaper to go to Kmart,” added another.
Another commenter said: ‘They are a business, now they have forgotten that people actually go there to shop because they have little money to spend.’
Thrift stores were started to offer items at bargain prices and the money raised was diverted to help those in need.
The Salvation Army states on its website: ‘Our Salvation stores and second-hand shops specialise in selling used items generously donated by the Australian public.
‘You can find a second-hand or vintage piece at an affordable price and at the same time help raise funds to support our vital work in the community.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Salvation Army for comment.
