Value Village

All photos and prices in review taken and seen on 1/3/25nnIn this economy — when so many families are struggling just to pay rent, keep food on the table, and cover basic needs — most of us turn to thrift stores because we’re trying to save money. Thrifting used to be one of the few affordable options left. Unfortunately, Value Village no longer feels like that.nnSeeing used jeans priced at $20–$35 is incredibly discouraging. For years you could reliably find jeans at a thrift store for under $10. Now the prices are approaching — or even matching — retail sales pricing for brand new clothing. That completely defeats the purpose of “secondhand savings.”nnOn top of that, I’ve seen obvious replica luxury bags (like Chanel or Louis Vuitton) priced at $30–$40 and displayed as if they were premium items. They’re not marked as replicas, which is misleading — especially when many shoppers don’t have the money to waste or the experience to spot fakes.nnWhat makes this worse is knowing that Value Village (Savers) generates significant profit, including very large executive compensation packages, while the stores are often located in — and marketed to — lower-income communities. It feels wrong that the company benefits while the people who rely on thrift stores for survival are expected to pay prices that are getting close to regular retail.nnA thrift store should be affordable. Used donations should not be priced like new merchandise. Please reconsider your pricing structure and remember the people you are supposed to be serving: families, students, and individuals who are already stretched thin.nnThis isn’t about wanting something for nothing — it’s about fairness, honesty, and accessibility. Right now, Value Village is missing the mark.

I will start with the fact that their pricing is way better than Goodwill. Both companies get things for free and have the opportunity to provide to others for a low cost. Purposefully choosing to upcharge a FREE item is where Goodwill has gone. I've seen Value Village lean this way with SOME items (mostly tech), but not all. I hope they don't continue that trend.nnThe store is good sized so there's always something new to look at if you go once a week-ish. Employees are usually nice. If you drop off your donations, you can get a coupon that's good through the year. So if you're thinking of donating in November or December, wait till January so your coupon will last longer.nnSince they hired security here, there have been way less tweaks inside. But they're still in the parking lot. They usually park on the side of the building (not the donation side) and do whatever shady things they're doing. No one ever makes them leave.nnI wouldn't give them 5 stars unless they consistently had better prices and the atmosphere inside and out was cleaner.

I love Value Village. Great stuff at reasonable prices. We lost our VV a few years ago, so when I'm in Everett or Bellingham I spend some time (and some money) and get a few treasures. The staff there were extra friendly and helpful. Good job everyone. Thank you.

I love shopping at Value Village because you never know what you’re going to find. The last thing I bought there was for my little photography setup. I had already bought a selfie stick from Amazon, and then I found curtains, carpet, and a basket at Value Village to use as a backdrop. Now I feel like a photographer! Great place to find creative, affordable items.

I found some good things, but I cannot get over the weird rule about keeping the cart in the store. As a normal person that doesn’t want to steal the cart and spends $100 usually each time I go, I find that off putting. I also didn’t love the woman working near the self check out, she doesn’t greet customers and seems overall rude and lacking customer service skills.