Op shops ride high on recession

Sydney’s cash-strapped clothes shoppers are increasingly turning to opportunity stores to make their dollar go further.

So far this year, the Salvation Army has had a 15 per cent boost in sales, while the St Vincent de Paul Society has experienced a 12 per cent rise in the last four months.

“People are uncertain about the future and so they are budgeting lower, and this means finding cheaper, alternative ways of purchasing goods such as clothes,” said Neville Barrett, General Manager for The Salvation Army Salvos Stores in the Australia Eastern Territory.

“We have always had quite a young following for certain shops. Now we are seeing a lot more mothers with their children and more affluent individuals shop here, said Julie McDonald, manager of fundraising and marketing for the St Vincent de Paul Society.

“When the Randwick races were on…we saw a big spike in our Sydney shops because of people buying formal race gear,” she said.

But it’s not only clothes that people are buying on the cheap: “If people can’t afford to buy a brand new couch in Myer, or in another furniture store, they are quite happy to shop for one in Vinnies and help the local community in the process,” said McDonald.

Yet despite increases in sales, both organisations said money donations have decreased: “We have struggled to keep donations at a high level. Through the media we are trying to ensure that donors continue to donate because The Salvation Army needs money donations now more than ever,” Mr Barrett said.

However, many individual opportunity shops, such as Newtown’s The Cat Protection Society and St Laurence House Opportunity Shop, aren’t profiting from the trend.

“We are…bargaining a lot harder than we used to,” said Anna Gough, a volunteer at the Cat Protection Society.

“People are trying to make their dollar go further … Instead of buying three frocks they will buy a belt. People don’t have $15 spare of discretionary income, they are coming in here with five dollars.”

18-year-old university student Trilby Hague is one shopper trying to make a little go a long way.  “Because of the recession a lot of the clothing shops have become really expensive. I shop in op-shops because it is cheaper. Plus, vintage is in fashion,” she said.