I, and many others I’ve seen, just try stuff on in the aisles. I go prepared with bike shorts and a sports bra on. I felt like an odd ball at first but then decided that I didn’t care that much. I care more about wasting money. I have noticed that mirrors are now disappearing.
Yup, I felt awkward at first trying clothes on in front of a mirror (on top of my own clothing) and I now dress strategically if I'm going thrifting.
My God, if the mirrors disappear, I will too. So much of the fun has been sucked out of thrifting already...
I didn’t look very hard but I didn’t see any mirrors near the clothing last time I was in a goodwill. Fortunately they’re usually selling one or two in the furniture section
In the strangest interaction I have ever had in a thrift store, I was told that the mirrors were for sale, so I wasn’t allowed to look at my reflection in them, and I had to use the store mirror in the back.
lol just start bringing your own mirror, one of those cheap $10 full length ones. Make sure to mark it as yours, lest they think you are stealing one of their free donations
The first time I ever tried on clothes on the sales floor was at h&m on michigan avenue in chicago. The store was kind of new and the fitting room line was 20 people deep. I’ve since done this at goodwill and costco.
At my goodwill people stand in front of them and try stuff on sending snaps to their friends and then call you a bitch when you ask them to step aside. ( Not that I'm still mad or anything)
my son stood in an isle and watched a woman take off her shirt and pants. down to bra and undies to try on shorts and a top. My son was open mouthed and transfixed watching this women. She looked at him and waved. If she knew he was 12 maybe she would have thought better of the wave. In her defence, he was 6 foot 3 and looked 17 or 18 at the time lol He told me he got to see her nipple 3 times. So I gave him a high five.
well. bras are not always able to cover the full breast. sometimes when girls put on shorts they have to lift their leg. When they reach down to slip their foot into the shorts they bend forward a little. This allows the bra to bunch up and expose the nipple.
While that does sound like it makes sense...it doesn't for me. I am a weekly Goodwill shopper and in the stores that don't have a fitting room I don't even bother to look at the clothes anymore. In the ones that do, I end up spending well over $50. There is no way I am taking a risk just by eyeing an item. You hear that, Goodwill?! I know they're here reading.
For reals. Especially not vintage stuff… and a lot of those clothes have strange “cuts”. I can’t even count the times I’ve been convinced that something would fit, only to try it in and see that it fits really oddly.
I would NEVER buy something that I couldn’t try on! What are they thinking??
Same, just bought 3 dresses yesterday because I could try them on at Good Will.
I don't look at clothes at my Saver's. Well I did look at blouse on the way to the register and it was $15. So even if I could try it on , I'm not paying $15 for no name blouse.🤔
I play the long game. I found a nice NWT sweater for a really good price at GW years ago, so I bought it. It didn't fit. I waited. And waited. And waited. Now I've finally shrunk into it. Now I'm waiting for Fall. :D
I'm the same way. I will go to places without change rooms but I'll only look at stuff I can try on over my clothes in front of a mirror, like maxi skirts or cardigans, for example.
You know what's crazy is there is a chain near me (retail, not thrift) that I noticed two locations no longer had mirrors anywhere. The last time I was in one, I found stuff I liked and so asked for the change room... Not only do they not have mirrors but this location doesn't have a change room anymore.
I don't even look at their clothes in general because the prices are so absurd in my area. I can go to a department store and buy the same exact things brand new for $3 more. No fucking world exists where I buy some smelly used clothing item used when I can spend a few more bucks and get new.
I'm the same way. I moved a year ago. A year ago, the Goodwill in my old neighborhood didn't allow you to use the fitting rooms so I never bought any clothes. But the Goodwills that are in my area now allow it. Last time I went, spent $40 on jeans, tops and a dress.
You’re the exception, not the rule . Let’s say you’re 1 out of 50 people that actually returns things or doesn’t buy. The other 49 people will definitely outweigh your lack of purchase . Same as the rebate scenario. If every single consumer took advantage of the rebates offered , the company would lose money and stop offering them .
Humans are lazy people , in general. There’s is an entire science dedicated to this subject I took for a while in school . It’s called : Behavioral Finance
I'm sure we'll see somewhere down the road, but it's possible that they miscalculated and the number of people who buy misfitting clothes but don't return them will in time find places where they know they can make sure they clothes fit before they go home. Those 49 people might not be bringing back their purchase, but after a few unhappy purchases they may very well decide to go elsewhere. It seems to be pretty American MBA thinking, quarterly profits above all else, 3 years from now be damned.
Idk I think people will just keep going to Goodwill regardless, hoping to find that one gem. But from a consumer rights standpoint, it's really shitty behavior to manipulate your customers into spending their money this way.
>Humans are lazy people , in general. There’s is an entire science dedicated to this subject I took for a while in school . It’s called : Behavioral Finance
I find this sad yet fascinating all at the same time.
I'm sure we'll see somewhere down the road, but it's possible that they miscalculated and the number of people who buy misfitting clothes but don't return them will in time find places where they know they can make sure they clothes fit before they go home. Those 49 people might not be bringing back their purchase, but after a few unhappy purchases they may very well decide to go elsewhere. It seems to be pretty American MBA thinking, quarterly profits above all else, 3 years from now be damned.
Yeah this won't work on me. The stores in my area don't offer returns. But maybe they would if they didn't have changing rooms - which they do. If I am not already very familiar with the brand and their sizing and stuff, I'm not even gonna buy it. I've only bought a few things without trying in a dressing room. I think 1 pair of shorts I tried on under a dress. A sweater from a brand I was very familiar with. And a coat from a familiar brand but I was also able to try it on the aisle. Also that store has no mirrors. So I don't go there for clothes anymore. Obviously stores have done more research than I have but I can confidently say this. If I can't try things on, there's a 0% chance I'm buying anything. Instead of an 80% chance of me buying something with a 10% chance of me returning it.
That’s because you are within the group of shoppers they were willing to lose in order to make more money overall. (No judgment, that includes me too). They knew they’d piss some people off by the changes, definitely lose a boatload of shoppers, but basically they decided it would be worth it financially. The gamble is always whether the predicted human behavior lines up with the actual human behavior. Since I see that a lot of people are still buying from Goodwills, maybe this time around they were correct.
It’s so gross, absolutely screwing over the (needy) customer in the name of maximizing profits. Follow the money, always.
I honestly don’t know who these lunatics are that just buy clothing without trying it on first. The only plausible excuse in my mind is these people who are a perfect size whatever, and they can trust it will fit correctly. For the other 99.99999% of the population, there’s no plausible explanation.
In the years since the big chain thrift stores removed their fitting rooms in my area I think I've bought clothes from a couple of them two times. I used to buy quite a lot when I could try them on. Honestly, it's saved me a lot of money. Lol. I do still support the local thrift stores that kept their changing rooms, though.
The Value Village in my city blocked the rooms during COVID and tore them down and never brought them back. I caught on to this very thing immediately. I said "I bet they are doing this because people dgaf about returning their item, and would just redonate it instead, giving them a chance to resell it and make more money."
I caught on because I couldn't try on the jeans and they ended up being too small, and I couldn't be bothered to return for the $8, so I just redonated them in my next purge.
Husband called my theory a little conspiratorial, but did agree. I just don't buy from them now that a Goodwill has opened up and has real change rooms.
Also Value Village requires you to do an exchange for something of equal value at the time you do the return. No money back or gift card . You don't have time to shop, can't find anything useful or worth as much, you're SOL.
What is good about the goodwill that just opened up is they actually have thrift store prices. $4 for a shirt, $6 to $10 for jeans no matter the brand. Where that Value Village sells heavily used Lululemon sweaters for $30.
They’re trying to build a clientele since it’s new. I guarantee after a while they will start raising prices according to product .
This is the classic “ grand opening sale “ logic that just stays around for a while .
Glad you’re getting good deals now though. 👍🏻👍🏻
Ngl I thought this was common knowledge, I'm surprised anyone would see it as a conspiracy theory.
Some of them are also deliberately not upfront about how their return policies work. They will tell you they have a 1 week return policy, but unless you ask they won't tell you that you don't get your money back or even a gift card. You have to find the equivalent of what you are returning to exchange it that day. They inevitably profit from that because people either give up immediately or spend more than the return is worth. For me, it just means I'm not going to bother buying anything, and I think we need to start pushing back hard against these attempts at manipulation.
Yeah I worked for them at the time and thought it was a big mistake. I typically don’t buy clothes at a thrift store if I can’t try them on. So I was thinking they would lose customers. OP is probably right, so I’m sure it’s both reasons, but I was told that it helps crack down on shoplifting.
I do not buy something unless I can try it on. But it gives me an idea. So I will share this with people. Say you buy something and it doesn't fit and they don't have a return policy? If you plan to redonate it to these supposed "nonprofits" I suggest damaging the item beforehand. Now if its a legit nonprofit don't do that. I irks me that these fake nonprofits do this shit.
Same at my VV, and the smaller local thrift stores. Maybe it works to their advantage, but for me it means that I’ve full out stopped buying clothes. I’m not buying without trying.
Just an excellent and thorough example of just how shitty goodwill is and the lengths they'll go to in order to profit. Meanwhile they use something like 1% of PROFIT for their charity.
I’m not a fan of Goodwill but that’s just false. Per charity watch (taken from tax filings) it’s 87%
https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/goodwill-industries-international-national-office
"In 2017 CEO James Gibbons for Goodwill Industries International was paid $598,000 in salary plus an additional $118,000 in additional compensation They are right at $5.5 B in annual revenue ,or even a little more."
Not sure if you are quoting this as a negative or a positive but if negative I’d encourage you to view this 20 minute TED talk from Dan Pallotta which changed my view on charities and overhead. https://youtu.be/bfAzi6D5FpM?si=LigLGrpjmFHBV0oh
right, to the community in the form of job fairs to replace employees they ran off with their shit management. Wash Rinse and Repeat. They do jack shit for the community besides diverting things away from the community that members of the community could have used for a thrift store price.
Their job training they offer is no different than any other place who does on the job training, except my Goodwills can't even be bothered with that much.
Goodwill harms the community more than they help the community. It's like Walmart showing up and disrupting all the local small businesses so that they are the only game in town. Goodwill shows up, local thrifts who actually DO help the community suffer.
It doesn't. Not at all. Please go to palmetto goodwill website and try to register for the "school" or classes that they claim to offer. See what info you can find.
Goodwill International has 156 individual chapters on North America and has stores in 12 countries. If each chapter has a minimum of ten stores with 20 employees each, that's 1560 stores in North America and over 31,000 employees. There are a lot of CEOs heading smaller organizations that earn more.
FWIW, in my region, 92 cents out of every dollar goes to job training programs.
My goodwill sends all the nice stuff to their overpriced GW Boutique store and now only has SHEIN clothing or worn out forever 21 dresses. They sell empty pasta jars for twice what it costs to buy with sauce in them. It is shit central.
Instead, the resellers are having a field day buying all the premium clothes to resell online to a larger audience, then charging even More money and making it even More difficult to attempt a return if it doesn't work out.
Or people forced to wear tight clothing they might not feel comfortable in public wearing and receiving unwanted attention just so they can try on some used pants.
Goodwill has completely lost sight of their core values, they should be mortified at their own behavior.
In most cases those premium brands don't even make it to the racks. They are sent directly to a warehouse, and posted on the Goodwill auction site.
Goodwill is probably the most successful reseller in the USA.
I've honestly never even looked at their site and never plan to. The stuff in the store is already expensive enough now, I don't want to see what they are trying to trick people into paying online.
Is it called goodwill auctions or something? I don't even think I've seen it come up in searches for used things, if they really are that successful shouldn't I be seeing or hearing about it in some way?
It's just a complete non-entity to me.
That's understandable. The only time I hear about the site is in-store announcements, or here on reddit. Once or twice I've checked for specific items, but the prices are ridiculous.
When I said that they are the most successful resellers, I meant in terms of their entire business model. Not specifically online.
And echoing another commenter, many independent resellers simply don't source at Goodwill due to the high prices.
I assure you that is not the case. Resellers see Goodwill as pointless and a waste of time too. Why would we want to drop fucking $30 on a shirt that we can make a $10 profit on? They are such a poor investment, not to mention most of anything worth anything is diverted from the store before it ever makes it out for sale.
Factor in returns, shipping, fees, time and scams. Goodwill is dogshit for resellers, at least any reseller who has any concept of what they are doing.
You’re the exception, not the rule . Just like rebates . You might be the type of person who takes full advantage of rebates , while the other 99 people don’t . The company wins . That’s just how it is, sadly .
That’s not exactly true. Everyone I know completely stopped buying clothes at Goodwill due to the lack of dressing rooms and stupid return policy. Many of us stopped donating for the same reason. Goodwill will learn but it will be too late for them by then.
In my region, the stores keep the fitting open, but some stores require a key to access them. There have been more than a couple of instances of people pooping and peeing in them.
Edit: Also, shoplifting has been on the rise, like with a lot of other retailers. Some are pretty brazen about it and walk out with stuff. Locking the fitting rooms serves as a slight deterrent, but some stores have also had to lock public restrooms for the same reason.
My local Goodwill just made the switch and removed their dressing rooms. I already had a cart full of clothes when I realized it. I asked the cashier if I could use the bathroom to try them on. She said no, but I was welcome to purchase them, try them on at home, and return them (she didn't mention the no cash refund). I laughed, walked straight out, and won't set foot in a Goodwill again or donate to them. I already didn't love their business model compared to local, independent thrift shops. This sealed the deal for me. Their quality control is trash, they are overpricing items, and they treat employees like crap while underpaying people with disabilities, overpaying their CEO, and doing nothing for the local community.
I gave my last bag of donations away via a buy nothing group.
When they closed em, I just started trying stuff on in the aisle by the mirrors, fuck em! Base layer shirt, socks, and underwear stayed on so there’s no illegal exposure on my part, and any shame or embarrassment is entirely upon the greedbags in corporate for creating this sad state of affairs for their customers. Staff hasn’t stopped me, and if it doesn’t fit, or if I don’t know if it would fit, I don’t buy.
May these greedbags, these destroyers receive the outcomes they deserve
I’m the shameless person that just tries stuff on over my clothes on in front of whatever mirror I can find. It’s bullshit that they removed dressing rooms, they’re greedy and they don’t actually care about customers or “doing good”.
Yep. The only way to stop it is to “vote with your wallet.” But it has to be a significant number of people . 10-15 will do Zero .
It needs to be hundreds
I stopped buying clothes when they took the dressing rooms away. Anyway, their prices are so high now, I can buy something brand new at Walmart or Marshall’s/TJ Maxx for the same price
This is so shitty for elderly or people with disabilities who can’t get out of the house as often, to do returns or exchanges. It’s not always as easy as going back the next day. I hate these corporations
I’m pretty sure that there are many of us who’ve stopped shopping there at all. I, for one, won’t buy a single piece of clothing for anyone over the age of 5 without the chance to check whether it fits.
I started a [similar discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThriftGrift/s/dxAc4u7IjM) a year ago.
My simple take is that dressing rooms and restrooms were closed down due to Covid, and the companies realized customers are still buying clothes and such without them.
My favorite goodwill just knocked the dressing rooms down last week. I assumed it was because that’s where most shop lifting takes place. So now the crazies are stripping to their underwear in front of the only mirror in the store to try things on. I saw a woman’s actual vulva yesterday. I’m assuming the mirror will be gone by next week….
Saw diapers for sale at a goodwill again today. Like c’mon a company that says it does good in their community resells diapers?? Instead of giving them to a shelter? So fucked up.
Many years ago I worked at Goodwill for a summer job. Those change rooms saw some serious shit. Our change rooms were 10ft from the washrooms, but that didn't stop people from pissing in rubber boots or shooting snot rockets onto the benches. Fond memories.
I remember when I worked at Sears in college and someone smeared shit all over the floors and walls of the women's dressing room. Looked like a brown crime scene.
Idk why when working retail so many people used Marshall's fitting room as a bathroom. They would take the clothes and start peeing on them, kids and adults.
Many (most?) retail establishments don't have separate cleaning staff. When I worked in bridal customer service, one of my nightly responsibilities was cleaning the bathrooms. The stylists vacuumed the store. I think I cleaned the windows once or twice.
That’s gross, but many of the goodwills around here don’t have public bathrooms. Kind of asking for desperate people to do desperate things if you don’t even offer a restroom
I have read maybe here or on another sub that many were closing the fitting rooms because people were using them as toilets and also leaving drug needles.
We aren’t allowed to return things at our Goodwills in PA. So no dressing rooms? No buying clothing. This is assuming the stuff costs less than you’d pay at Walmart new…
And this is how I basically stopped buying bottoms at the thrift unless I happen to be wearing something I can try them on over which is rare. Sure, I can guess if it’ll fit but I can’t guess if it’ll look good.
So they want you to buy donated (typically junk) at a way to high price, not be able to tell it doesn't fit or is uncomfortable, bring it home, find out, store it for a few years & donate it to the same store because you decide to declutter.
It will probably still have the old $9.99 tag on it from when you bought it, but will get a second new goodwill tag added upon donation, now listing it as $25.99 which will cause problems when asking which is the right price!
My local goodwill got rid of dressing rooms AND returns so they're getting their bag either way. They also got rid of their stamp card where if you fill it up you got $5 off.
My daughter worked at a thrift store for 4 years. The reason they shut down the dressing rooms is because people would take in multiple items, rip off the tags, and put the clothes on in layers, then walk out the front door. They would also urinate and defecate in said dressing rooms routinely. Definitely not worth the hassle of cleaning up bodily waste every day.
This is why I always dress in a leotard and sweats when I go thrifting. It’s been years since any of my stores have had fitting rooms and a return policy. There’s no way I’m buying clothes without knowing whether they fit me properly
Likely cuts down on theft as well (I support stealing from the for profit savers/value village etc and from anywhere else that charges insane prices for donated clothes)
For my store, we first closed them down as a covid precaution.
We were asked if we wanted them back open, and we all responded "NO".
There was a lot of theft when they were open, and customers would completely destroy them. I literally had to clean up human feces from a dressing room in my first week of employment.
I completely understand that it can be frustrating as a customer. That being said, 99% of our clothes are priced under $4, and the money all goes to a good cause. We still sell a ton of clothes.
Let me be clear though...
It is not a big chain like goodwill or savers. All of our proceeds go to a big animal rescue.
We will occasionally get a piece that we will sell on ebay if it really stands out, but it is very few pieces.
We charge higher on some nicer shoes, but the price gets dropped every week or 2, and many end up at the regular price of $3.60
The policy might also cut down on shoplifting. I remember once going into a Sally Ann changing room and finding a bunch of empty hangers and a pile of snipped-off price tags.
Pre-COVID, some thrift stores had clerks who were deputized to check the # of items you had going in and out, but their scrutiny was casual at best, and of course it also meant paying at least one staffer to stand there all day.
Maybe 🤔 just maybe if customers weren’t so disgusting fitting rooms might return. They’re Retail employees not Janitors. What I’ve seen; a pile of clothes that have been urinated on, soil diapers, soil underwear, clothes switched, condoms, sanitary napkins, drugs and paraphernalia, condoms, 100+ tags from thefts and 💩 smeared on the mirrors. Can you imagine BIO HAZARD ⚠️
I’m a guy, and when I’m going to a thrift store, I’ll wear a short sleeve button down with an undershirt. I have no problem trying on shirts in the aisle.
Just because something is technically the "smart" way to do things from a business perspective doesn't necessarily make it any less morally reprehensible.
This makes a lot of sense. At one of my local thrifts you’re not allowed to try on items that are $5 or less. I absolutely have bought these items without being able to try them on and just re-donated. They also have a no return policy so I couldn’t even try.
They have to unlock them for you. I suppose if you had a big bundle of both types of clothing (they mark the $5 and under differently) they probably wouldn’t notice, but I usually stay in the $5 section.
Very rarely is there only one reason..the reasons management at my store was given was theft and it meant we didn't have to hire/pay someone to man the changing rooms.
Lack of fitting rooms is part of the reason I stopped shopping there. The risk of wasting my money on something I'd have to do the leg work of exchanging deterred me from purchasing clothing there entirely.
Can't speak for any other regions, but ours only got taken out pretty recently. It was really only for one reason: massive increase in drugs. There was a large string of attacks on employees from people shooting and smoking in the fitting rooms. A few locations like mine had people straight up OD and die. Didn't matter what part of the state or how nice the area, it got everywhere. Corporate realized that if the attacks started happening to customers, lawsuits would follow. People even coming into contact with certain substances and residue was getting dangerous. Areas of the store had to be closed off until cleaning crews could sterilize everything. This took hours up to a day to do. Fitting rooms and bathrooms ended up being closed constantly anyways.
I'm not saying you're wrong about anything, especially across the country. But for my state this was the reason. Rather lose money and customers than people get hurt. Fentanyl screws with communities.
During Covid when they closed the fitting rooms people would try stuff on in furniture area. I don't buy anything for myself unless I can try it on, the only and I do mean only exception to that is if I could resell it if it doesn't fit.
There's a thrift store I like in a seedier area of town. They have a fitting room but every six months or so it will be closed and stay closed for a year until they decide to open it again. I once asked and apparently some guy will use it as a toilet. So they will lock it, try again months later, repeat.
Ehhh... We closed ours because people peed in vases or left needles behind 😅 a coworker actually accidentally picked up an afflicted vase and it spilled a little !
I always hated trying stuff on, ever since I was a kid. I did use the fitting rooms *sometimes*. Like if I needed a dress for an event. That's too hard to pull on over clothes and actually know if it fits.
But the trying things on in the aisles and wearing bike shorts and a tank top is genius.
When I was homeless. I regularly stole tons of merchandise from goodwill and value village through the use of fitting rooms. I'd go in there with one of their backpacks and a bunch of clothes or other items. Fill the back packs and leave through the fire exit door that the employees disarmed so they had a shortcut to take smoke breaks.
I always assumed they got rid of fitting rooms to cut down on theft.
Tearing down the fitting rooms at my local savers does NOT stop my aunt from aggressively trying on tops over top of her original clothing in store. I’ve asked her to not do that, but it’s just resulted in me never going to Savers with her anymore.
Our Savers also has long rods on their carts so you can’t take them out of store. I’ve enjoyed watching a few people think they’re taking their load to the car to be nearly under their cart with the force they hit the frames with.
I've lived in multiple states and never seen a goodwill that accept returns on clothing, so this theory makes no sense to me. Not in Texas or Florida or here in New York.
The others at least took back electronics within 24 hours if they were defective, but here in western NY they don't refund anything at all, and their crappy electronics aren't tested.
We have plenty of dressing rings though, everywhere I've lived. Thankfully.
Where are you that goodwill refunds clothing and has no dressing rooms?
I, and many others I’ve seen, just try stuff on in the aisles. I go prepared with bike shorts and a sports bra on. I felt like an odd ball at first but then decided that I didn’t care that much. I care more about wasting money. I have noticed that mirrors are now disappearing.
This is what I do. I have these specific thin leggings I wear and a tank top. I try everything on right in the aisle.
Yup, I felt awkward at first trying clothes on in front of a mirror (on top of my own clothing) and I now dress strategically if I'm going thrifting. My God, if the mirrors disappear, I will too. So much of the fun has been sucked out of thrifting already...
I didn’t look very hard but I didn’t see any mirrors near the clothing last time I was in a goodwill. Fortunately they’re usually selling one or two in the furniture section
In the strangest interaction I have ever had in a thrift store, I was told that the mirrors were for sale, so I wasn’t allowed to look at my reflection in them, and I had to use the store mirror in the back.
Wait are you serious
I wouldn’t be able to help myself and I would’ve told them they should call the cops cause I’m not gonna stop stealing glances.
That's really funny, I hope I remember that in case I find myself in such a weird and statistically unlikely situation
Well, no one wants a used mirror!
Especially from a thrift store eww!
Do you know how many strangers' reflections are just...IMPRINTED on there?!
> I was told that the mirrors were for sale, so I wasn’t allowed to look at my reflection in them I would have laughed in his face over that one.
Jfc. 🙄
Even if they weren't bs-ing, you gotta let a customer try a mirror before they buy it lmfao
lol just start bringing your own mirror, one of those cheap $10 full length ones. Make sure to mark it as yours, lest they think you are stealing one of their free donations
That's a hilarious image...strolling on in with your full length 🪞 mirror.🤪
Put an arm-strap on it so it looks like a spartan shield!
Wasn't there a guy who walked around with his own mirror? I think his name was 'Sexy Vegan' and I think he was on Dr. Phil.
Haha yes!! I remember this dude. How wild.
I would definitely do that. Much more of a statement the using the camera on my phone .
And a pop up camping change room 😂
That would be amazing! A pop up tent, a full length mirror and a selfie light. Get all the angles.
I got shamed by a worker at Salvation Army for trying a top on over my top. She was like there are kids here... I was completely dressed.
The first time I ever tried on clothes on the sales floor was at h&m on michigan avenue in chicago. The store was kind of new and the fitting room line was 20 people deep. I’ve since done this at goodwill and costco.
I e seen a lot of people do this. And to be honest, I’ve done something like this as well because I’m not gonna buy some thing if it doesn’t fit.
At my goodwill people stand in front of them and try stuff on sending snaps to their friends and then call you a bitch when you ask them to step aside. ( Not that I'm still mad or anything)
Tough crowd! I miss the days when thrift stores had just a few oddball customers (like me) and we could all avoid each other 😁
I just move their cart and go around
if a thrift store doesn’t have mirrors, I always try to scour for one that’s being sold and just prop it up somewhere lol
I do this too! I do it at Costco also and I get weird looks but danged if it doesn't work and I don't care about the weird looks. lol
I carry the clothes to the furniture department and find a dresser or wardrobe with a mirror. Nobody has remarked on it yet.
my son stood in an isle and watched a woman take off her shirt and pants. down to bra and undies to try on shorts and a top. My son was open mouthed and transfixed watching this women. She looked at him and waved. If she knew he was 12 maybe she would have thought better of the wave. In her defence, he was 6 foot 3 and looked 17 or 18 at the time lol He told me he got to see her nipple 3 times. So I gave him a high five.
How did he see her nips if she had a bra on?
well. bras are not always able to cover the full breast. sometimes when girls put on shorts they have to lift their leg. When they reach down to slip their foot into the shorts they bend forward a little. This allows the bra to bunch up and expose the nipple.
While that does sound like it makes sense...it doesn't for me. I am a weekly Goodwill shopper and in the stores that don't have a fitting room I don't even bother to look at the clothes anymore. In the ones that do, I end up spending well over $50. There is no way I am taking a risk just by eyeing an item. You hear that, Goodwill?! I know they're here reading.
I don't recall ever buying something before knowing if it fits. I just don't have money like that.
For reals. Especially not vintage stuff… and a lot of those clothes have strange “cuts”. I can’t even count the times I’ve been convinced that something would fit, only to try it in and see that it fits really oddly. I would NEVER buy something that I couldn’t try on! What are they thinking??
Vintage sizes are not even close to today’s sizes. A size 10 from 1970 is closer to today’s size 7 or 8.
Same, just bought 3 dresses yesterday because I could try them on at Good Will. I don't look at clothes at my Saver's. Well I did look at blouse on the way to the register and it was $15. So even if I could try it on , I'm not paying $15 for no name blouse.🤔
Unless I know the brand and its sizing, I'm not splashing cash in a store with no fitting room
My Savers has fitting rooms. Didn't even know not having them was a thing.
I play the long game. I found a nice NWT sweater for a really good price at GW years ago, so I bought it. It didn't fit. I waited. And waited. And waited. Now I've finally shrunk into it. Now I'm waiting for Fall. :D
Congrats on the weight loss!
I'm the same way. I will go to places without change rooms but I'll only look at stuff I can try on over my clothes in front of a mirror, like maxi skirts or cardigans, for example. You know what's crazy is there is a chain near me (retail, not thrift) that I noticed two locations no longer had mirrors anywhere. The last time I was in one, I found stuff I liked and so asked for the change room... Not only do they not have mirrors but this location doesn't have a change room anymore.
Especially when they’re asking for $15.99 for a dress and $11.99 for jeans.
I don't even look at their clothes in general because the prices are so absurd in my area. I can go to a department store and buy the same exact things brand new for $3 more. No fucking world exists where I buy some smelly used clothing item used when I can spend a few more bucks and get new.
I also stopped looking since i cant try stuff on
I'm the same way. I moved a year ago. A year ago, the Goodwill in my old neighborhood didn't allow you to use the fitting rooms so I never bought any clothes. But the Goodwills that are in my area now allow it. Last time I went, spent $40 on jeans, tops and a dress.
I will buy a top but never pants unless I can try on
I feel the same. I only buy things i can try on over my clothes. This policy is infuriating
You’re the exception, not the rule . Let’s say you’re 1 out of 50 people that actually returns things or doesn’t buy. The other 49 people will definitely outweigh your lack of purchase . Same as the rebate scenario. If every single consumer took advantage of the rebates offered , the company would lose money and stop offering them . Humans are lazy people , in general. There’s is an entire science dedicated to this subject I took for a while in school . It’s called : Behavioral Finance
I'm sure we'll see somewhere down the road, but it's possible that they miscalculated and the number of people who buy misfitting clothes but don't return them will in time find places where they know they can make sure they clothes fit before they go home. Those 49 people might not be bringing back their purchase, but after a few unhappy purchases they may very well decide to go elsewhere. It seems to be pretty American MBA thinking, quarterly profits above all else, 3 years from now be damned.
Idk I think people will just keep going to Goodwill regardless, hoping to find that one gem. But from a consumer rights standpoint, it's really shitty behavior to manipulate your customers into spending their money this way.
>Humans are lazy people , in general. There’s is an entire science dedicated to this subject I took for a while in school . It’s called : Behavioral Finance I find this sad yet fascinating all at the same time.
Yea it was pretty interesting.
I'm sure we'll see somewhere down the road, but it's possible that they miscalculated and the number of people who buy misfitting clothes but don't return them will in time find places where they know they can make sure they clothes fit before they go home. Those 49 people might not be bringing back their purchase, but after a few unhappy purchases they may very well decide to go elsewhere. It seems to be pretty American MBA thinking, quarterly profits above all else, 3 years from now be damned.
That's because they only care about resellers.
Yup, this is it. But after awhile, GWill is going to raise their prices so much that it won’t even be profitable for the resellers to purchase stuff.
Yeah this won't work on me. The stores in my area don't offer returns. But maybe they would if they didn't have changing rooms - which they do. If I am not already very familiar with the brand and their sizing and stuff, I'm not even gonna buy it. I've only bought a few things without trying in a dressing room. I think 1 pair of shorts I tried on under a dress. A sweater from a brand I was very familiar with. And a coat from a familiar brand but I was also able to try it on the aisle. Also that store has no mirrors. So I don't go there for clothes anymore. Obviously stores have done more research than I have but I can confidently say this. If I can't try things on, there's a 0% chance I'm buying anything. Instead of an 80% chance of me buying something with a 10% chance of me returning it.
That’s because you are within the group of shoppers they were willing to lose in order to make more money overall. (No judgment, that includes me too). They knew they’d piss some people off by the changes, definitely lose a boatload of shoppers, but basically they decided it would be worth it financially. The gamble is always whether the predicted human behavior lines up with the actual human behavior. Since I see that a lot of people are still buying from Goodwills, maybe this time around they were correct. It’s so gross, absolutely screwing over the (needy) customer in the name of maximizing profits. Follow the money, always.
This is so true. I go there much less often, but when I do it’s crowded & people are buying carts full of stuff.
I honestly don’t know who these lunatics are that just buy clothing without trying it on first. The only plausible excuse in my mind is these people who are a perfect size whatever, and they can trust it will fit correctly. For the other 99.99999% of the population, there’s no plausible explanation.
In the years since the big chain thrift stores removed their fitting rooms in my area I think I've bought clothes from a couple of them two times. I used to buy quite a lot when I could try them on. Honestly, it's saved me a lot of money. Lol. I do still support the local thrift stores that kept their changing rooms, though.
The Value Village in my city blocked the rooms during COVID and tore them down and never brought them back. I caught on to this very thing immediately. I said "I bet they are doing this because people dgaf about returning their item, and would just redonate it instead, giving them a chance to resell it and make more money." I caught on because I couldn't try on the jeans and they ended up being too small, and I couldn't be bothered to return for the $8, so I just redonated them in my next purge. Husband called my theory a little conspiratorial, but did agree. I just don't buy from them now that a Goodwill has opened up and has real change rooms.
Also Value Village requires you to do an exchange for something of equal value at the time you do the return. No money back or gift card . You don't have time to shop, can't find anything useful or worth as much, you're SOL.
Dam that's so much worse than I thought.....
See ,what did I tell you ? Perfect example. Re donate . 2x the profit right there .
What is good about the goodwill that just opened up is they actually have thrift store prices. $4 for a shirt, $6 to $10 for jeans no matter the brand. Where that Value Village sells heavily used Lululemon sweaters for $30.
They’re trying to build a clientele since it’s new. I guarantee after a while they will start raising prices according to product . This is the classic “ grand opening sale “ logic that just stays around for a while . Glad you’re getting good deals now though. 👍🏻👍🏻
I'll be sad if that is true. 😅
Ngl I thought this was common knowledge, I'm surprised anyone would see it as a conspiracy theory. Some of them are also deliberately not upfront about how their return policies work. They will tell you they have a 1 week return policy, but unless you ask they won't tell you that you don't get your money back or even a gift card. You have to find the equivalent of what you are returning to exchange it that day. They inevitably profit from that because people either give up immediately or spend more than the return is worth. For me, it just means I'm not going to bother buying anything, and I think we need to start pushing back hard against these attempts at manipulation.
Yeah I worked for them at the time and thought it was a big mistake. I typically don’t buy clothes at a thrift store if I can’t try them on. So I was thinking they would lose customers. OP is probably right, so I’m sure it’s both reasons, but I was told that it helps crack down on shoplifting.
I do not buy something unless I can try it on. But it gives me an idea. So I will share this with people. Say you buy something and it doesn't fit and they don't have a return policy? If you plan to redonate it to these supposed "nonprofits" I suggest damaging the item beforehand. Now if its a legit nonprofit don't do that. I irks me that these fake nonprofits do this shit.
Same at my VV, and the smaller local thrift stores. Maybe it works to their advantage, but for me it means that I’ve full out stopped buying clothes. I’m not buying without trying.
Just an excellent and thorough example of just how shitty goodwill is and the lengths they'll go to in order to profit. Meanwhile they use something like 1% of PROFIT for their charity.
I’m not a fan of Goodwill but that’s just false. Per charity watch (taken from tax filings) it’s 87% https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/goodwill-industries-international-national-office
"In 2017 CEO James Gibbons for Goodwill Industries International was paid $598,000 in salary plus an additional $118,000 in additional compensation They are right at $5.5 B in annual revenue ,or even a little more."
Not sure if you are quoting this as a negative or a positive but if negative I’d encourage you to view this 20 minute TED talk from Dan Pallotta which changed my view on charities and overhead. https://youtu.be/bfAzi6D5FpM?si=LigLGrpjmFHBV0oh
My first thought.
That doesn’t change the fact that 87% goes to the community
right, to the community in the form of job fairs to replace employees they ran off with their shit management. Wash Rinse and Repeat. They do jack shit for the community besides diverting things away from the community that members of the community could have used for a thrift store price. Their job training they offer is no different than any other place who does on the job training, except my Goodwills can't even be bothered with that much. Goodwill harms the community more than they help the community. It's like Walmart showing up and disrupting all the local small businesses so that they are the only game in town. Goodwill shows up, local thrifts who actually DO help the community suffer.
It doesn't. Not at all. Please go to palmetto goodwill website and try to register for the "school" or classes that they claim to offer. See what info you can find.
This is probably an unpopular take on Reddit, but I don’t think that’s an outrageous salary for CEO of a mega chain business.
Goodwill International has 156 individual chapters on North America and has stores in 12 countries. If each chapter has a minimum of ten stores with 20 employees each, that's 1560 stores in North America and over 31,000 employees. There are a lot of CEOs heading smaller organizations that earn more. FWIW, in my region, 92 cents out of every dollar goes to job training programs.
Plus, there would be well over $200,000 in income taxes to account for.
I'm fairly certain they claim that things like buildings, property and other investments are part of their charity stuff.
My Goodwills got rid of the fitting rooms AND stopped accepting returns, so we just got both middle fingers.
My goodwill sends all the nice stuff to their overpriced GW Boutique store and now only has SHEIN clothing or worn out forever 21 dresses. They sell empty pasta jars for twice what it costs to buy with sauce in them. It is shit central.
Same, I stopped going a few years ago because of that.
This absolutely DOES NOT encourage me to spend money.
The fitting rooms shutting down is how I went from buying 100% of my clothes from goodwill to never shopping there again
If more people did it , they would change it . Sadly only a handful of people do. You’d need hundreds to stop going to effect any change .
Instead, the resellers are having a field day buying all the premium clothes to resell online to a larger audience, then charging even More money and making it even More difficult to attempt a return if it doesn't work out. Or people forced to wear tight clothing they might not feel comfortable in public wearing and receiving unwanted attention just so they can try on some used pants. Goodwill has completely lost sight of their core values, they should be mortified at their own behavior.
In most cases those premium brands don't even make it to the racks. They are sent directly to a warehouse, and posted on the Goodwill auction site. Goodwill is probably the most successful reseller in the USA.
I've honestly never even looked at their site and never plan to. The stuff in the store is already expensive enough now, I don't want to see what they are trying to trick people into paying online. Is it called goodwill auctions or something? I don't even think I've seen it come up in searches for used things, if they really are that successful shouldn't I be seeing or hearing about it in some way? It's just a complete non-entity to me.
https://www.goodwill.org/shoppers/shop-online/ Here you go. The three links to their three different sites. I used to buy all my books from them.
That's understandable. The only time I hear about the site is in-store announcements, or here on reddit. Once or twice I've checked for specific items, but the prices are ridiculous. When I said that they are the most successful resellers, I meant in terms of their entire business model. Not specifically online. And echoing another commenter, many independent resellers simply don't source at Goodwill due to the high prices.
I assure you that is not the case. Resellers see Goodwill as pointless and a waste of time too. Why would we want to drop fucking $30 on a shirt that we can make a $10 profit on? They are such a poor investment, not to mention most of anything worth anything is diverted from the store before it ever makes it out for sale. Factor in returns, shipping, fees, time and scams. Goodwill is dogshit for resellers, at least any reseller who has any concept of what they are doing.
I rarely stop by my goodwill because there is no profit to be made
Whoa. You used “effect” correctly in this context. I’m just…standing here in awe of you.
Well it doesn’t work on me. Before I stopped thrifting entirely, I didn’t even look at the clothes anymore because I couldn’t try them on
You’re the exception, not the rule . Just like rebates . You might be the type of person who takes full advantage of rebates , while the other 99 people don’t . The company wins . That’s just how it is, sadly .
That’s not exactly true. Everyone I know completely stopped buying clothes at Goodwill due to the lack of dressing rooms and stupid return policy. Many of us stopped donating for the same reason. Goodwill will learn but it will be too late for them by then.
In my region, the stores keep the fitting open, but some stores require a key to access them. There have been more than a couple of instances of people pooping and peeing in them. Edit: Also, shoplifting has been on the rise, like with a lot of other retailers. Some are pretty brazen about it and walk out with stuff. Locking the fitting rooms serves as a slight deterrent, but some stores have also had to lock public restrooms for the same reason.
My local Goodwill just made the switch and removed their dressing rooms. I already had a cart full of clothes when I realized it. I asked the cashier if I could use the bathroom to try them on. She said no, but I was welcome to purchase them, try them on at home, and return them (she didn't mention the no cash refund). I laughed, walked straight out, and won't set foot in a Goodwill again or donate to them. I already didn't love their business model compared to local, independent thrift shops. This sealed the deal for me. Their quality control is trash, they are overpricing items, and they treat employees like crap while underpaying people with disabilities, overpaying their CEO, and doing nothing for the local community. I gave my last bag of donations away via a buy nothing group.
It is true , you know how I know ? That store is still around . If enough people stopped going they would close it .
They’re not going to close overnight. It takes a while for a business to fail. You said yourself they only started doing this a few years ago.
Makes perfect sense
When they closed em, I just started trying stuff on in the aisle by the mirrors, fuck em! Base layer shirt, socks, and underwear stayed on so there’s no illegal exposure on my part, and any shame or embarrassment is entirely upon the greedbags in corporate for creating this sad state of affairs for their customers. Staff hasn’t stopped me, and if it doesn’t fit, or if I don’t know if it would fit, I don’t buy. May these greedbags, these destroyers receive the outcomes they deserve
Our Goodwills still have fitting rooms. If they ever go away, I won't shop there anymore. So not everyone behaves the way that corporate thinks.
This is the reason I no longer go to my Savers.
No not everyone behaves that way . However more do then don’t . Just like Vegas . As long as the house always has an edge it will stay .
I just don't bother shopping at the stores without fitting rooms.
I’m the shameless person that just tries stuff on over my clothes on in front of whatever mirror I can find. It’s bullshit that they removed dressing rooms, they’re greedy and they don’t actually care about customers or “doing good”.
Some things I can eyeball, like shirts. Pants I have to try on and I simply won't buy them if I can't do so.
That’s cool. In order to effectively change anything there would need to be 100’s of people that do that . 10-15 won’t do anything
[удалено]
Yep. The only way to stop it is to “vote with your wallet.” But it has to be a significant number of people . 10-15 will do Zero . It needs to be hundreds
I stopped buying clothes when they took the dressing rooms away. Anyway, their prices are so high now, I can buy something brand new at Walmart or Marshall’s/TJ Maxx for the same price
This is so shitty for elderly or people with disabilities who can’t get out of the house as often, to do returns or exchanges. It’s not always as easy as going back the next day. I hate these corporations
I’m pretty sure that there are many of us who’ve stopped shopping there at all. I, for one, won’t buy a single piece of clothing for anyone over the age of 5 without the chance to check whether it fits.
I started a [similar discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThriftGrift/s/dxAc4u7IjM) a year ago. My simple take is that dressing rooms and restrooms were closed down due to Covid, and the companies realized customers are still buying clothes and such without them.
My favorite goodwill just knocked the dressing rooms down last week. I assumed it was because that’s where most shop lifting takes place. So now the crazies are stripping to their underwear in front of the only mirror in the store to try things on. I saw a woman’s actual vulva yesterday. I’m assuming the mirror will be gone by next week….
😲
Oh so it’s corrupt grifting.
Saw diapers for sale at a goodwill again today. Like c’mon a company that says it does good in their community resells diapers?? Instead of giving them to a shelter? So fucked up.
Also from a cashier's point of view, I'm tired of cleaning human shit from the walls of the change room.
Many years ago I worked at Goodwill for a summer job. Those change rooms saw some serious shit. Our change rooms were 10ft from the washrooms, but that didn't stop people from pissing in rubber boots or shooting snot rockets onto the benches. Fond memories.
And it’s not just goodwill where that shit happens. I’ve walked into a department store fitting room and found a giant turd under the chair.
I remember when I worked at Sears in college and someone smeared shit all over the floors and walls of the women's dressing room. Looked like a brown crime scene.
Idk why when working retail so many people used Marshall's fitting room as a bathroom. They would take the clothes and start peeing on them, kids and adults.
The one near me didn't have a public bathroom at all.
They don’t have janitors? They make cashiers clean that up?
Many (most?) retail establishments don't have separate cleaning staff. When I worked in bridal customer service, one of my nightly responsibilities was cleaning the bathrooms. The stylists vacuumed the store. I think I cleaned the windows once or twice.
That’s gross, but many of the goodwills around here don’t have public bathrooms. Kind of asking for desperate people to do desperate things if you don’t even offer a restroom
I have read maybe here or on another sub that many were closing the fitting rooms because people were using them as toilets and also leaving drug needles.
We aren’t allowed to return things at our Goodwills in PA. So no dressing rooms? No buying clothing. This is assuming the stuff costs less than you’d pay at Walmart new…
Fuck your goodwill contact. I hope they choke on a cock. Greedy bastards.
I’m curious how you really feel though?
And this is how I basically stopped buying bottoms at the thrift unless I happen to be wearing something I can try them on over which is rare. Sure, I can guess if it’ll fit but I can’t guess if it’ll look good.
i’m gonna be so honest at my local savers i wear tight and full coverage clothes on when i go and try everything on in an empty isle.
So they want you to buy donated (typically junk) at a way to high price, not be able to tell it doesn't fit or is uncomfortable, bring it home, find out, store it for a few years & donate it to the same store because you decide to declutter. It will probably still have the old $9.99 tag on it from when you bought it, but will get a second new goodwill tag added upon donation, now listing it as $25.99 which will cause problems when asking which is the right price!
My local goodwill got rid of dressing rooms AND returns so they're getting their bag either way. They also got rid of their stamp card where if you fill it up you got $5 off.
My daughter worked at a thrift store for 4 years. The reason they shut down the dressing rooms is because people would take in multiple items, rip off the tags, and put the clothes on in layers, then walk out the front door. They would also urinate and defecate in said dressing rooms routinely. Definitely not worth the hassle of cleaning up bodily waste every day.
Well they lost me as a customer because of the lack of fitting rooms and refusal to return items (exchange only).
This is why I always dress in a leotard and sweats when I go thrifting. It’s been years since any of my stores have had fitting rooms and a return policy. There’s no way I’m buying clothes without knowing whether they fit me properly
Likely cuts down on theft as well (I support stealing from the for profit savers/value village etc and from anywhere else that charges insane prices for donated clothes)
Fun fact . 99% of their cameras don’t work . The only ones that do are the ones by the registers .
For my store, we first closed them down as a covid precaution. We were asked if we wanted them back open, and we all responded "NO". There was a lot of theft when they were open, and customers would completely destroy them. I literally had to clean up human feces from a dressing room in my first week of employment. I completely understand that it can be frustrating as a customer. That being said, 99% of our clothes are priced under $4, and the money all goes to a good cause. We still sell a ton of clothes.
“99% of all our clothes are are under $4” You sure about that? Your store would be the exception that I’ve seen to that statement.
Let me be clear though... It is not a big chain like goodwill or savers. All of our proceeds go to a big animal rescue. We will occasionally get a piece that we will sell on ebay if it really stands out, but it is very few pieces. We charge higher on some nicer shoes, but the price gets dropped every week or 2, and many end up at the regular price of $3.60
Oh I thought you worked for Goodwill. The way you answered “my store” I thought you meant goodwill. My apologies
All good. I thought about that afterwards. My bad
Yes, I am sure. $3.60 to be exact
Super scammy. I don’t need to give them my $.
The policy might also cut down on shoplifting. I remember once going into a Sally Ann changing room and finding a bunch of empty hangers and a pile of snipped-off price tags. Pre-COVID, some thrift stores had clerks who were deputized to check the # of items you had going in and out, but their scrutiny was casual at best, and of course it also meant paying at least one staffer to stand there all day.
Lol, I just try stuff on in the aisle if they don't provide fitting rooms
Maybe 🤔 just maybe if customers weren’t so disgusting fitting rooms might return. They’re Retail employees not Janitors. What I’ve seen; a pile of clothes that have been urinated on, soil diapers, soil underwear, clothes switched, condoms, sanitary napkins, drugs and paraphernalia, condoms, 100+ tags from thefts and 💩 smeared on the mirrors. Can you imagine BIO HAZARD ⚠️
I worked in the men's department at JCPenney in my 20s and many times had to clean jizz off the mirror
Sorry about that I just loved how these slacks looked
I’m a guy, and when I’m going to a thrift store, I’ll wear a short sleeve button down with an undershirt. I have no problem trying on shirts in the aisle.
Just because something is technically the "smart" way to do things from a business perspective doesn't necessarily make it any less morally reprehensible.
The ones closed down here because people kept od’ing in them. Now I just don’t buy pants and those stores.
I walk in, ask if they have fitting rooms, when they say no, i walk out.
In my area they closed because that is how stuff was stolen, plus the drug use.
savers employee here we closed ours because people kept stealing shit and one dude kept exposing himself to the female workers
My Goodwill told me that cash purchases are refunded to a gift card. Credit card purchases are credited. I no longer spend cash at GW.
This makes a lot of sense. At one of my local thrifts you’re not allowed to try on items that are $5 or less. I absolutely have bought these items without being able to try them on and just re-donated. They also have a no return policy so I couldn’t even try.
Whaat? Do they have a bouncer checking the prices of all clothing before you enter the fitting room?
They have to unlock them for you. I suppose if you had a big bundle of both types of clothing (they mark the $5 and under differently) they probably wouldn’t notice, but I usually stay in the $5 section.
I'm a manager at Savers. More than anything it was due to theft.
I’m absolutely certain theft was part of it . However, it’s not the only reason.
Very rarely is there only one reason..the reasons management at my store was given was theft and it meant we didn't have to hire/pay someone to man the changing rooms.
Lack of fitting rooms is part of the reason I stopped shopping there. The risk of wasting my money on something I'd have to do the leg work of exchanging deterred me from purchasing clothing there entirely.
Our local GWs have never accepted Returns.
Can't speak for any other regions, but ours only got taken out pretty recently. It was really only for one reason: massive increase in drugs. There was a large string of attacks on employees from people shooting and smoking in the fitting rooms. A few locations like mine had people straight up OD and die. Didn't matter what part of the state or how nice the area, it got everywhere. Corporate realized that if the attacks started happening to customers, lawsuits would follow. People even coming into contact with certain substances and residue was getting dangerous. Areas of the store had to be closed off until cleaning crews could sterilize everything. This took hours up to a day to do. Fitting rooms and bathrooms ended up being closed constantly anyways. I'm not saying you're wrong about anything, especially across the country. But for my state this was the reason. Rather lose money and customers than people get hurt. Fentanyl screws with communities.
During Covid when they closed the fitting rooms people would try stuff on in furniture area. I don't buy anything for myself unless I can try it on, the only and I do mean only exception to that is if I could resell it if it doesn't fit. There's a thrift store I like in a seedier area of town. They have a fitting room but every six months or so it will be closed and stay closed for a year until they decide to open it again. I once asked and apparently some guy will use it as a toilet. So they will lock it, try again months later, repeat.
I just try clothes on in the aisle if I really like something otherwise I don’t buy if I don’t try
That makes absolute sense for them… I hate it, but it makes sense.
Most of the GW’s in my area have dressing rooms. Savers do not.
Wow
They took the fitting rooms out of ours because people were using them as bathrooms
I think the ones at my Savers got taken out because someone was shitting in them once a week.
Ehhh... We closed ours because people peed in vases or left needles behind 😅 a coworker actually accidentally picked up an afflicted vase and it spilled a little !
In my area it’s because people were using hard drugs and passing out in them 🤷♀️
I always hated trying stuff on, ever since I was a kid. I did use the fitting rooms *sometimes*. Like if I needed a dress for an event. That's too hard to pull on over clothes and actually know if it fits. But the trying things on in the aisles and wearing bike shorts and a tank top is genius.
I dont buy clothes at Goodwill since they did away with dressing rooms. At their prices they can afford to have dressing rooms.
You could also just club me over the head and take my wallet while i am passed out.
Goodwill: bullying their customers for profit. I'm done with them. Local thrift stores only for me.
Fuck goodwill
Return? 🤣🤣🤣 One of the Goodwills I *used* to go to got rid of the fitting rooms and doesn't do returns.
When I was homeless. I regularly stole tons of merchandise from goodwill and value village through the use of fitting rooms. I'd go in there with one of their backpacks and a bunch of clothes or other items. Fill the back packs and leave through the fire exit door that the employees disarmed so they had a shortcut to take smoke breaks. I always assumed they got rid of fitting rooms to cut down on theft.
Yeah I’m that person who doesn’t try stuff on and will just buy it. If it doesn’t fit, I either try and sell it or it’s put in a donation bag.
Tearing down the fitting rooms at my local savers does NOT stop my aunt from aggressively trying on tops over top of her original clothing in store. I’ve asked her to not do that, but it’s just resulted in me never going to Savers with her anymore. Our Savers also has long rods on their carts so you can’t take them out of store. I’ve enjoyed watching a few people think they’re taking their load to the car to be nearly under their cart with the force they hit the frames with.
Watching them try and turn the carts sideways or tipped over is the best too 😂
I work at a non Goodwill thrift store. It’s 100% because of theft.
I've lived in multiple states and never seen a goodwill that accept returns on clothing, so this theory makes no sense to me. Not in Texas or Florida or here in New York. The others at least took back electronics within 24 hours if they were defective, but here in western NY they don't refund anything at all, and their crappy electronics aren't tested. We have plenty of dressing rings though, everywhere I've lived. Thankfully. Where are you that goodwill refunds clothing and has no dressing rooms?
You all need to watch the Corporation if you think this is some shady shit. This is nothing, in fact it’s smart and makes sense.