Torontonians are calling out Value Village for steep prices at the thrifting giant’s stores, and the company is responding to the backlash.
The thrift stores, owned by Savers Value Village, are meant to be an affordable option for shoppers, especially for lower-income households, but recently some shoppers have noticed that prices don’t match the store’s mission.
A social media user brought attention to the issue in a Reddit post after visiting a store in Scarborough where they called the prices “ridiculous.”
“I don’t understand why they’re trying to gouge people in such a needy area. I don’t get it… What do you get from gouging your own people? What is going on?,” the user said.
Other users immediately replied to the post, detailing their own experiences at the retail store, with many also noticing higher prices at a store that’s meant to be affordable.
“Sadly, they’ve been like that for years. It used to be my favorite location 10 or so years back. Most [Value Village] stores are like this now,” one user said.
“They have crazy upped their prices lately everywhere,” another Reddit user said.
Some users have pointed to a “rise in thrift culture” as a reason behind the higher than usual prices, blaming social media for painting thrift shoppers as “trendy.”
Meanwhile, some users were quick to offer alternative options that they’ve deemed as much cheaper, from shops that are not-for-profit.
In a statement to Now Toronto on Thursday, Village Village Canada says that pricing is something it monitors very closely.
“With an average unit retail price of around $6.50 CAD, we work hard to price items in a way that provides a great everyday price and value for our customers,” the statement said.
The statement added that stores price and merchandise around 34,000 items per week, which adds up to around four million items across Canada, with each item being sorted, evaluated, and priced by store staff. There are over 300 Savers Value Village stores in Canada and the U.S.
“With the large volume of items processed, we may sometimes miss the mark,” the statement said.
Value Village Canada said it encourages customers to reach out to a store manager if they feel an item has been mispriced.
