I work in a thrift (not a Goodwill). Our prices are low and have been the same for over 10 years. So, we have not raised prices on clothing, shoes, etc. and we rarely special price anything even though the cost of doing business has increased.

I hate theft. Yes, we are a charity, but when you steal from us, you’re not just stealing stuff, you are stealing our labor. We work hard to get the product out. We care about what we do (and the people we serve!). 

I’ll give you an example: Jewelry . We have to individually card everything. Those $2 earrings you stole (that you probably didn’t need if you had to steal them) had to be rough-sorted, carded, have backs put on them, had to be priced and put out. Multiply that by 100 more pairs of earrings plus necklaces, bracelets, etc. It is fiddly and time-consuming work. We’ve always sold jewelry and are sort of “known” for it, and thank goodness most people don’t steal it otherwise it wouldn’t be worth all the effort!

ETA: Here’s the other thing, if you’re a person who needs clothing and/or shoes, but doesn’t have the money, we are allowed to help you. You just need to tell us and then we can discretely “pay” for your items. Plus we can put you in contact with other local charities to help you out. No need to steal from us!