‘People sell their best stuff on Vinted’ – how charity shops became a dumping ground for unsellable clothes

Charity shops, such as St Raphael’s Hospice in Cheam, south London, are facing a crisis due to being overwhelmed with daily avalanches of unsaleable and poor-quality donations. Commercial manager Caroline Worley reports receiving 30 to 50 bags daily, often exceeding 100, which has led to stockrooms being completely crammed with items like soiled bathrobes, tatty trainers, and heavily bobbled jumpers. This shift in donation habits, where people are increasingly offloading low-quality fast fashion, accelerated during the Covid pandemic as individuals began selling their better items on platforms like Vinted. The excessive volume of unmerchandisable goods poses a significant challenge for these secondhand stores, turning what might seem like a positive problem into a logistical nightmare that impacts their ability to raise funds and operate efficiently.