Australian Red Cross

“Wow they must be dreaming. the prices here are incredibly overpriced. They’re selling fast fashion high street brands from 2008 for the retail price of a new item. You’d have more in the pocket paying for the train to/from Sydney and buying the clothes new. This completely defeats the purpose and spirit of an op shop from both a charity or sustainability perspective. I was here yesterday then at a Red Cross shop in Sydney today and the prices in Sydney were more than half what they charged here for the same or better brands.”

“I've been to many of op shops in the 28 years of my life, searched far and wide, high and low for a good bargain. Some shops were bad, some average, some good, some great, but never in my life have i come across this kind of monstrosity. You'll not find any type of bargains here, all you'll come across is unwelcoming, oppugnant attitudes from staff. If you're visiting Leura any time soon i'd give this one a hard miss.”

“This is our first stop as we come off the train, we love visiting these guys, they are always good for a bargain.”

“I can't believe how expensive this shop has become. They're charging $50 for fast fashion items. The other day, I saw a pair of leather shoes priced at $100 just because they were vintage from an unknown brand. That's outrageous. Most of their clothes are of poor quality and overpriced. The staff is also unfriendly. Since all the clothes are donations, they shouldn't be priced based on the material, brand, or because they're vintage. Op shops are supposed to provide affordable options for people who can't afford new, quality pieces.”

“I liked it. Some good points: - It's conveniently located at the start of Leura Mall (near the train station); - Ok views at the back of the shop too; - Quiet, and a laid back vibe (to be contrasted to op shops I've been to in the city near Darlinghurst and Surry Hills - or even Wollongong); - If you're looking to find female fashion on the cheap - this place may be it; - Some cool shoes too on occasion. A negative point is the pricing as it can be a bit expensive (but you are picking up bigger brands at a lower price in terms of clothes). I do agree with some of the comments that it could be cheaper (i.e. - an ex h&m item should be less than half price for sure). Back to the positives, the concept is good - they organise the shop in a nice and aesthetic way too (see pics). Suggestions for improvement: - maybe get rid of the DVDs (as people don't really view them); - further donate books (they can be placed in the "take a book, give a book" boxes); and - arrange clothes by type (e.g. it might be good to have formal type clothes seperated from casual etc) - currently looks like they organise it by colour; - double check if the clothes are washed (as some did have a bit of a smell). Otherwise, it's one of the better op shops I've been in and one I'd revisit in the future too. Happy to improve my rating in the future when I notice further improvements. A place which I think has the capacity to do so 🙏🏻”