Target and Goodwill: Did you know?

[theycallmered]

Did you know that Target and Goodwill have a standing agreement when it comes to discontinued, damaged, and out of season items? Read this article to find out more.

http://slavetotarget.blogspot.com/2007/07/targets-goodwill-mission.html

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I don't know about other places but my local GW is ridiculous about their prices. Example a new pai of kid's shoes was at Target for 19.99. Didn't sell so they kept lowering the price until it got down to 2.88 still didn't sell. Target donated the shoes to GW and (with all the Target tags still on) priced the shoes at 16.99. I noticed that Target gives them their unsold clearance items and GW marks the price at a few dollars less than the original.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I don't go into Goodwill very often b/c I can usually get brand new, end-of-season clearance clothes cheaper in the stores. Maybe my Goodwill marks stuff up too much? Every once in a while I'll pop in looking for something specific, mainly books or good condition furniture (got a pretty nice coffee table at a SA for $25). A couple of years ago, I stopped into a GW and I found two pieces of Target's kids furniture. One was a short, wide bookshelf that was selling at Target for about $60 or so. The other was one of those tall, narrow stands with the pull-out square cubes. I don't remember the Target price for that. I paid less than $20 for the bookshelf. I don't remember how much I paid for the other thing, but it was a good deal. Both of them were brand new, in the box (one might have been opened)!

 

[Carter'sMommy]

From what I have been told recently (by a Target Associate) ANY return of clothes except lingerie are donated. Even if the tags are still on it and it is clearly UNUSED.

A few years ago I purchased 2 of the same fairly expensive clothing items in 2 different sizes at Target for my DS and neither fit. The Associate "chastised" me because "Now these perfectly good items have to be destroyed". I was floored by her remarks.

Hopefully these items went to the Goodwill and not actually destroyed. That comment has turned me off from shopping at Target for a long time.

 

[Orange County Girl]

I went to goodwill a few days ago and they had a rack of target brand six-pack kids socks. They still had the great big store price sticker that said $3.99. Goodwill had them priced at $3.98!

 

[Cindy B]

I've known that for years. There is a Goodwill near here that does not use the Target price but maybe a few dollars (not cents) less.

I've got some nice Target things at the Goodwill at a great price. Combine that with my college student discount, I've got great prices!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Yeah, not a fan of Goodwill here. =( Not only are their prices ridiculous for stuff that looks like it's straight out of the 80s, but it is also smelly in there (atleast the one here) BLECH!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Yeah, not a fan of Goodwill here. =( Not only are their prices ridiculous for stuff that looks like it's straight out of the 80s, but it is also smelly in there (atleast the one here) BLECH!

What is that smell. My local Salvation Army doesn't have it and neither does my local thrift shop. I have been to different GW in several different cities and they all have that smell

 

[rparmfamily]

I heard this from an employee too, I was looking for the leftover Halloween baskets/bags and they had them all pulled for Goodwill.

If you return clothes, they do put that back on the floor, BTW. As long as it's in new condition of course. Unless they changed their policy recently. I worked there for several years.

 

[summerrluvv]

The Goodwill buys the stuff for .10 on a dollar and then Goodwill marks it at 50% of Target's retail price, thus making it MORE expensive at Goodwill than it was at Target. I once asked a Manager at Goodwill about why their prices were so high on Target stuff and he told me Target prices it. I emailed Target asking them why they price stuff at the Goodwill sooo high that "poor" people couldn't even afford it, and they said that they don't anything of the sort...Goodwill prices their own merchandise.

I hate the Goodwill store.

 

[MrsPete]

From what I have been told recently (by a Target Associate) ANY return of clothes except lingerie are donated. Even if the tags are still on it and it is clearly UNUSED.

I don't believe that; it makes no sense. I mean, if that's the policy, they might as well destroy all the things that people tried on and decided no to buy!

Along these same lines, though, I know that Bed, Bath, and Beyond also donates their "unsellables".

 

[disneysteve]

still had the great big store price sticker that said $3.99. Goodwill had them priced at $3.98!

I've seen stuff like that, too, not just with Target items (and yes, I often see Target stuff at Goodwill). But Goodwill often has prepackaged items at full original sale price. Sometimes even higher. Last time I was at Goodwill, I was looking at the DVDs. They had a bunch of DVDs that were probably from the $1 Spot at Target and Goodwill had them priced at $1.98. Some bargain that is.

 

[Carter'sMommy]

I don't believe that; it makes no sense. I mean, if that's the policy, they might as well destroy all the things that people tried on and decided no to buy!

Along these same lines, though, I know that Bed, Bath, and Beyond also donates their "unsellables".

Funny that you say that -- That is EXACTLY what I told the associate. She said something about "once it leaves the store" etc....

Just makes the cost of things go up for everyone if they do that.

 

[katerkat]

From what I have been told recently (by a Target Associate) ANY return of clothes except lingerie are donated. Even if the tags are still on it and it is clearly UNUSED.

Nope! Not at my Target, at least! I recently bought a bridesmaid-style dress from there, marked to 75%. The fitting room associate and I searched it over and could find no flaw, and she said when people order things online (this dress was online only) and return them in the store, they can't sell it full price since they only have one. So I got a steal on a great dress that someone returned.

 

[klineyqueen]

My very good friend owns a bridal shop. She donates all of the dresses that she doesn't sell. They are perfectly good and have their tags, but they are last year's style.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have noticed that at my GW with the new things. They are more money there than at the origianl store they came from

 

[jennifer293]

I never go into Goodwill or Salvation Army, but we have a wholesale store here and every Wed. they get a shipment from Target and it is AWESOME..I got 5 pairs of brand new Mossimo dress shoes for myself last year for 2 bucks a pair. The tags on them were 29.99 each when they were in the store..

They get all kinds of stuff in and the line to get in the place is always crazy. As soon as a box is taken off the truck there are people lined up there ready to rip into it.

 

[summerrluvv]

My very good friend owns a bridal shop. She donates all of the dresses that she doesn't sell. They are perfectly good and have their tags, but they are last year's style.

I frequent the local thrift store and they had very nice wedding dresses for sale the other day. One of the girls was trying them on. Her family was so excited at how pretty she looked. Then they looked at the tags on them $600 for a wedding dress at a Thrift Store I don't know the brand, and it really doesn't matter. People that have $600 to spend on a wedding dress wouldn't be shopping at a thrift store. They would go buy an off the rack one at Davids Bridal. The mother even said that to the manager. I think whoever priced that was on drugs. Especially since all the items are donated at this store.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I think the "blech" smell at Goodwill smells like a musty basement! Maybe some items have been in storage for too long?

Isn't it appalling that they price stuff that people have DONATED so high?? I think I may have to donate somewhere else. Does SA keep their prices low for people?

 

[Tigger1221]

From what I have been told recently (by a Target Associate) ANY return of clothes except lingerie are donated. Even if the tags are still on it and it is clearly UNUSED.

A few years ago I purchased 2 of the same fairly expensive clothing items in 2 different sizes at Target for my DS and neither fit. The Associate "chastised" me because "Now these perfectly good items have to be destroyed". I was floored by her remarks.

Hopefully these items went to the Goodwill and not actually destroyed. That comment has turned me off from shopping at Target for a long time.

I work at Target and can tell you this is not true. The only returned clothes we damage are lingere type things. If it is returned we put it back on the shelf.