Kate Langbroek criticizes op shops for being too expensive
Kate Langbroek criticizes op shops for being too expensive and blames ‘top-heavy’ infrastructure for price gouging
TV presenter Kate Langbroek has criticized Australia’s op-shops for being too expensive.
The 57-year-old comedian and broadcaster appeared on Channel 10’s The Project on Tuesday to criticize charity shops selling second hand items as too ‘commercial’.
Describing herself as an ‘op-shopper’, coming from a long line of ‘op-shoppers’, Kate blamed the price hikes on organizations that she said were spending big on their infrastructure and then passing it on to the consumer. . .
TV presenter Kate Langbroek (pictured) has criticized local op-shops for being too expensive.
“They’re paying CEOs, they’re paying antique appraisers,” he explained. ‘They [the op-shops] they are giving access to vintage shops so they can get there first.’
“Consequently, their prices go up and up,” he added.
Kate added that it was possible to buy a new T-shirt at thrift stores like K-Mart for $4.
‘Why would I pay $14 [at an op shop],’ she said.
The 57-year-old comedian and broadcaster appeared on Channel 10’s The Project on Tuesday to criticize charity shops that sell second-hand items as too “commercial”.
If people who don’t earn much have the option to use other stores like K-mart, replied Waleed Aly of The Project, do we need op stores to provide cheap goods?
He added that the goal of the op shops was to raise money for the charities they serve.
“I don’t think they’re necessarily making more money for the charities,” Kate replied.
“Everyone should be able to walk into a trading shop and win.”
Describing herself as an ‘op-shopper’, coming from a long line of ‘op-shoppers’, Kate blamed the price hikes on organizations that she said were spending big on their infrastructure and then passing it on to the consumer. . . Pictured: Kate in The Project
Kate’s attack on the inflated prices found in many op shops got a positive response on The Project’s Instagram message board.
“Couldn’t agree more Kate, thanks for telling it like it is!” wrote one shopper, while another added: “It’s a store operating to help the poor, instead they’re putting the money in in the company”.
“It doesn’t go where it’s needed for those who need it,” the viewer continued.
The Project’s Instagram message board was abuzz with support for Kate’s comments.
“So goes the saying that the rich get richer, the poor get poorer,” they added.
Another angry shopper wrote: ‘Okay, they’re like retail stores bent on making money. Just look what the CEOs get, so they use volunteers?
“Plus, most of the best stuff is shipped overseas for quick profits.”
Some shoppers have been put off by high op-store prices.
Meanwhile, some comments supported op shops as a way to fight wasteful fashion trends.
“You’re not contributing to fast fashion, which is good for the environment,” wrote one viewer.
‘AND [it] stops excessive reliance on importing cheaply manufactured goods from China.
An example of what an op-shop charged last August for second-hand clothes
There are more than a handful of ops stores that are still dirt cheap.
One fan sent a message saying that many stores are only partly run by charities, and many are franchises working for a profit.
“How do we stop landfills spewing out cheap fashion and improve conditions abroad for slave labor sweatshops?” they added.
Shoppers looking for a bargain have turned to op shops for decades. Pictured: A store in 2018 run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Sydney