Never Negotiate Thrift Store Pricing
Everyone wants a little better deal. The problem is it has to get better and better.
In thrift, the value of a used item can be a little subjective. There are reasonable differences of opinion of what something is really worth. The problem comes in when a thrift retailer allows itself to be drawn into a debate on that pricing.
Thrift managers and owners can be beset by people wanting a price cut for this or that reason every single day. It can be a slippery slope. A thrift store isn’t a garage sale, it’s a business.
I believe that you put goods on the floor at the price you think is fair. Stick to it.
Any time I made the mistake of dropping prices for a reseller it has never ended well. It’s the old give an inch and they’ll take a mile. The few times I did those shoppers (generally resellers) constantly hunted me down looking for even more special deals.
When someone points out a flaw, or whatever their reason for asking for a discount, I acknowledge it and say some version of “condition was considered when the price was determined”. It doesn’t make people happy but that’s ok as long as goods are priced properly.
Resellers are working to maximize their profit margins by minimizing yours.
There is the occasional exception when an item is obviously way overpriced. That’s a different story. Even then I make a fuss about it being mispriced and I’ll be happy to fix that mistake. Totally different than ya, I’ll cut the price for you.
A reseller that shopped a lot of stores I was responsible for somehow got my direct cell number. He would call and complain about three dollar items he felt should be priced for two. No kidding. He called and called and called, he was a bit of a bully. I also backed up the store managers that had to deal with him more often than I did.
Eventually, he wore down and gave up. He didn’t quit shopping with us, he just saved both of us time and trouble by paying our prices. He didn’t quit complaining at the stores, but he kept spending money.
Granted pricing resale pricing is a little bit art and a little bit of science, we don’t get it right every time. That’s one reason there is a half-price color rotation in most thrift stores.
A final thought…
One thing I keep in mind is that no one points out the items that were underpriced, so it balances out.
One of my resellers tried to negotiate on an old sewing machine in a wood cabinet. The cabinet was finished in an ugly green from the 70s. He wanted it for $50 when it was priced for $75. It looked terrible and I was tempted to say yes to get it out of the store but said no. A couple of weeks later he ran into me and told me he sold it for $1,200. Turns out the machine inside was a high-end brand. He didn’t offer to share the profits.
Thrift is business, we succeed when we treat it that way.
Thanks for reading!
I’m a thrift and retail business expert located near Chicago. Helping small business grow and succeed. You can find me onLinkedIn, Mediumand my thrift reseller blog The Thrifter.
You might also be interested in myThrift Merchandising ebook on Amazon. It’s about how to merchandise thrift stores more like traditional stores. It’s free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
Tim Gebauer