As the cost-of-living skyrockets, thrifting is becoming a necessity, and Penrith is becoming a hub for op shoppers.
Penrith’s High Street is home to a plethora of op shops including, but not limited to; Anglicare, Red Cross, Vinnies, Salvos, Cancer Wellness Support, Save the Children, as well as curated stores like, Soul Vintage Co and Finders Keepers Boutique.
Belinda Jones, manager of Penrith Anglicare stated that there has been a big increase in clientele, which she attributes to budgeting needs. “Living expenses have changed in a negative way and people want a bargain,” she says.
IbisWorld’s 2024 market analysis Australian Op Shops discovered that decades high inflation and associated rises in interest rates initiated a cost-of-living crisis, catapulting Op Shop revenues in 2022-2023. IBISWorld predicts that the 2024 op shop market will be worth $1.32 billion.
Chloe Bird is an avid Op Shopper and frequents Penrith’s stores weekly. What attracts her to op shops is the quality.
“I often found that clothes in op shops were better quality. If I looked in the right places…. I could go into a shop and find a really unique and one-of-a-kind piece that was half the price of something in a large retail store,” she says.
“I think what appeals to the Penrith community in regard to shopping is probably the pricing. With the cost of living at the moment I find that a lot more people have invested more time in finding clothing and long-lasting clothing at op shops,” she says.
Ashleigh Wright is a Penrith local who visits op shops once a week. “Most of my apartment is decorated by the op shop at this point and I will always search these places for anything I want,” she says.
Some of Ashleigh’s favourite homeware finds from the Op shop. Photo: Abbie Simmons
However, Wright pinpoints a constraint of op shopping is a lack variety, especially in clothing sizes. “My wardrobe isn’t as influenced because being plus size, my options are limited,” she says.
Jones, from Anglicare, admits that demand, higher donation rate and higher quality donations led to an increase in op shop pricing. “Our prices have increased mainly due to better quality clothing. There are more donations, we receive vintage clothing, Zara, lots of brand names, practically new clothing with tags,” she says.
On behalf of patrons, Wright challenges this. “I feel as if there is rising frustration with op shops as they are overcharging, especially considering they get everything for free. There are also lesser quality items a lot of the time, because these bigger op shops have online shops where they take more luxe items and charge a lot more for them. So, in stores we see a lot more fast fashion brands,” she says.
Nonetheless, op shops are very affordable option for anyone who is looking for wallet friendly options and Penrith is evolving into a hotspot for shoppers.
