Shopper speechless after spotting bizarre detail on item at thrift store: 'They couldn't even be bothered'

For years, many frugal and climate-conscious shoppers have used thrift stores in order to save some cash and cut down on textile waste ending up in our landfills. 

However, one Redditor came across a price tag for an item at their local Goodwill store that left them scratching their head.

While posting to r/ThriftGrift, the Redditor shared a photo of a dress that appeared to have undergone a dramatic markup from its last price on the way to hitting a Goodwill store. "$17 for a Forever 21 dress that couldn't sell for $5.49 at Ross," the original poster wrote.

In the picture, a "reduced" price tag from Ross Dress for Less can be seen in addition to the price tag from Goodwill. While it's unclear how long the dress was available at either store or where the original poster was located, the markup resulted in over a 300% increase in price.   

In general, shopping at thrift stores is an excellent way to stretch your dollar. But like any business, adjusting the price of items in the store can greatly impact profitability. This is especially important for Goodwill's broader mission to fund social programs. At the same time, instances of extreme price markups can often result in negative experiences that may turn a shopper off from thrifting in the future.    

Thrift stores such as Goodwill can often receive donated used clothing from a variety of sources, but a majority of donations come from the public. This can present a great opportunity to prevent clothing from being needlessly thrown away. 

On average, around 92 million tons of textile waste is produced every year across the globe. According to the EPA, just 14.7% of textile waste in the U.S. was recycled. An overwhelming majority of the waste ends up in landfills.   

It should be noted that Goodwill stores, which certainly serve some good in a community but have also received criticism for this area and others, appear to vary from location to location, depending on the local store manager. Your mileage may vary at the Goodwill closest to you, and errors can happen at any store, so one pricing example does not on its own demonstrate bad intentions. 

In the comments sections, users couldn't help but chastise the thrift store for the overpriced blunder, whether it was intentional or an error. 

"They couldn't even be bothered taking the original tag off or reading it!! What a joke," wrote one user. 

Another user pointed out the fact that the dress in question represented a much-maligned corner of the fashion industry, suggesting the quality of the materials is probably on the lower side. "Plus it's just junky fast fashion anyway," the commenter noted. 

What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores? Cheaper clothes 🤑 Trendier items 😎 Reduced environmental impact 🌎 I don't thrift 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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