Op shops face backlash over rising prices as cost of living crisis bites
Amid cost of living pressures and changing attitudes towards used goods, more Australians are turning to op shops – but they're facing criticism over perceived high prices.
WEB Dr Andrew Hughes, business and economics lecturer at the Australian National University, said the growth in demand has led some charity shops to change their business model and raise prices.
WEB "Once an economic necessity for the poor and needy, op shops have shed their stigma and are now seen as a cool place to shop," Dr Hughes said.
WEB "About 20 per cent of all customers were motivated by sustainability as their primary reason for shopping at op shops. But as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, even op shops are facing criticism over perceived high prices."
WEB Despite the criticism, op shops remain a popular shopping destination for many Australians.
WEB "The egalitarian lure of finding recycled treasures makes op shops a unique shopping experience," Dr Hughes said.
WEB "Still, I tend to rail against such suggestions," Marie Kondo, tidying goddess, explains in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
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