Rising Thrift Store Prices Have Some Donors Rethinking Goodwill

Some longtime Goodwill donors are reconsidering where they give used clothing and household goods amid concerns about thrift-store prices and a desire to provide items more directly to people in need, Yahoo Life reports.

An Aug. 15 report found that some donors are turning to shelters, community organizations, smaller charity thrift stores, and other nonprofits instead of automatically taking unwanted items to Goodwill. Their concerns include how donated merchandise is priced and where it ultimately ends up.

Pricing has become a particular point of frustration. Some shoppers have encountered secondhand clothing, furniture, dishes, and other household goods priced near or, in some cases, above the cost of comparable new merchandise, according to the outlet. For donors who expect secondhand goods to remain affordable, those experiences have prompted questions about where to take their donations.

Goodwill Industries International says pricing decisions are made within its network of independent local nonprofit organizations rather than a single national pricing system. The organization says stores seek to price donations according to fair market value in their local communities while maximizing the value of donated merchandise.

Some donors, according to Yahoo Creators, are instead choosing organizations that can distribute goods more directly. Options include homeless and women’s shelters, recovery programs, veterans organizations, and community nonprofits. Others give to local charity thrift stores that raise money for organizations such as schools, churches, hospices, and food pantries.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores can also accept certain furniture, appliances, building materials, and other household items, depending on the location. Online community groups offer another avenue for people who want to give belongings directly to others.

Goodwill says revenue generated through the sale of donated merchandise supports employment and workforce-development services. In 2024, 151 local Goodwill organizations helped 142,000 people secure employment and provided support to 2.1 million people across the U.S. and Canada, according to Goodwill Industries International’s annual report.

The organization also reported keeping 4.4 billion pounds of donated goods in circulation in 2024.

For some donors, however, the debate over thrift-store pricing is changing a once-routine decision into a more deliberate choice about where their donations can have the impact they want.

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