RSS
Home
Shopping for clothes at Goodwill
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Goodwill, a charity and re-sale store, has its loyal fans. Clearance racks, garage sales, second hand stores, and discount stores like Burlington Coat Factory, T.J. Maxx and Marshall's also have loyal fans. (Has anyone recently been to the shoe room at the mall recently?)
Although many non-clothing things are sold at the store, this article takes a look at clothes shopping at Goodwill. Like any shopping trip, for groceries or clothes, a party or gift-giving, a shopping list is paramount.
Let's start by looking at the physical set-up. Most stores have brand new clothing, recent fashions, apparel sorted by size, and quite often, staffed fitting rooms. Shoppers can usually ask if there are other sizes of a certain style "in the back" and have a posivite answer. Prices are clearly marked.
On the other hand, Goodwill sorts by color, not size, and does not have a bank of staffed fitting rooms. This can add extra time to a shopping trip. Inventory is crammed onto the racks, and is completely dependent on donations, which may be well worn, covered in pet hair, or be brand spanking new. There is no surplus inventory in the back stock room. Unlike many second hand stores, where pieces may be individually priced, clothing prices at Goodwill are all consistent (all shirts are one price, all pants are one price), but the prices are not always clear, even though each item is marked with a color coded tag. Special sales are run frequently on certain items. Recent and older fashions are on display. If shoppers can handle these arrangements, then shopping at Goodwill may be good option.
Looking deeper into the store, shoppers will see that the following are easy to find at Goodwill: adult tops and bottoms of all kinds, common sizes, big and tall mens, maternity clothes, bigger girls (sz. 14 and up), dress clothes for boys. Petite sizes and other clothes are hit and miss. I found many women's tops and a few women's pants hanging on racks for boys, girls, and men.
I have seen deep discounts at mainstream retail stores that match Goodwill prices, but I've also found brand new, name brand clothing at Goodwill. Garage sales usually have lower prices, but garage sales do not typically offer climate controlled, one-stop shopping for all the sizes of a family. Church rummage sales seem to have lower pricing and great selection, if you shop very early in the sale. Shopping at Goodwill is certainly worth a stop if you have the time.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
