Shopper calls out disturbing trend with photo of thrift store bedding: 'I did a double take'

One thrift shopper was frustrated with their local store's choices when it started to stock damaged fast-fashion merchandise at outrageous prices.

"My local Salvation Army gets damaged Zara merch," they said in a Reddit post on the r/ThriftGrift forum, where they shared a photo of one example. "I did a double take when I saw the price; it's just a duvet insert."

In the photo, there's a simple white piece of bedding. The brand is listed as Zara, so there's no mistaking this for a higher-quality item. Despite that fact, the price eclipses normal thrift store prices at a whopping $219.99.

"I've never seen anything this expensive at my local thrift stores!" the original poster said. In a comment, they added: "I was excited at first but I've never found an item that wasn't severely damaged or worth $50."

Zara is a notorious fast-fashion brand — a producer of low-quality clothing that pushes buyers to spend more and more money by imitating short-lived fads and wearing out absurdly quickly.

Fast fashion is bad for people's finances, and it's also bad for the environment, as it generates unnecessary waste and uses excess materials.

The bedding the original poster found is no exception; presumably, Zara's standards for bedding are similar to its standards for clothing — and this item was already damaged.

Normally, shopping at thrift stores is a good way to avoid these problems while saving money, as you can find high-quality clothing at a discount. You're even helping the environment by keeping items out of landfills and reducing the need to manufacture more clothes.

In this case, the thrift store fell disappointingly short.

"What's with all the Zara?" one commenter complained. "Racks and racks and racks, all overpriced, at multiple Salvation Army locations across several states, and been going on for at least the last four years I can remember. I wish someone in fashion merchandising would weigh in."

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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