r/britishproblems • u/Different-Tap-530 • 3d ago
Charity shops arranging clothes by colour when you're trying to find something that fits
It looks lovely, but I'd rather check one rail in my size than every label in the shop.
110
u/Bugsandgrubs 3d ago
Clothes I can understand if they're also putting in order of size, but one near me arranges BOOKS by colour. Not once have I ever thought, hmmm I'd like to read something orange today.
26
u/InternationalRide5 2d ago
People who do that deserve a very hard smack.
Although all the vintage orange and green Penguins can have their own shelf. I'll allow that.
15
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
A trilogy could end up on three different shelves. Do they at least separate fiction and non-fiction first?
2
u/Bugsandgrubs 2d ago
I don't think they do. But I can't look because it annoys me so much!
4
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Remembering the title is apparently less useful than remembering whether it was orange.
60
28
u/ambiiee96 3d ago
A couple of charity shops near me arrange by size AND colour, it’s wonderful
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
That sounds ideal. Are the sizes on separate rails, or divided up within each colour?
6
u/ambiiee96 2d ago
Some shops have them in long rails in sizing blocks then also colour grouped and some have shorter free standing rails with all pink, blue, green etc clothes grouped on their own short rail, then arranged smallest to largest
3
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
The long rails get my vote for a quick browse. The smaller stands sound nicer when you've got time to wander.
53
u/intangible-tangerine County of Bristol 3d ago
I prefer racks by colour and then arrange by size on the rack. Less visual clutter.
13
u/Different-Tap-530 3d ago
Size dividers would make that work for me. Still tidy, much less label checking.
3
u/intangible-tangerine County of Bristol 2d ago
St Peter's hospice shops in Bristol are good for this. Sorted by colour, size and garment type and every item checked for quality. I'm overly critical of other charity shops after having volunteered for them.
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
The quality checks would be a bonus too. Did keeping the rails sorted take much of your volunteer time?
27
u/CheeryBottom 3d ago
My favourite charity shop is my favourite because it organises by colour.
7
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Size dividers within each colour section could be a decent compromise.
5
u/jodilye 2d ago
I've never been to one that doesn't do both. Not using sizes is truly bizarre.
2
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Do yours group sizes within colours, or colours within sizes?
2
u/jodilye 2d ago
Sizes within colours.
I generally skip out the blues and pinks, or spend way less time flipping through them. I much prefer this way.
2
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Ah, I meant shops with no size sorting at all. Yours sound easier to browse.
5
u/alinalovescrisps 3d ago
Yes, I much prefer those that arrange by colour. I basically wear only black so it makes life much more simple 😂
7
u/CrazyPlatypusLady 2d ago
There's one near me that doesn't arrange by colour, vaguely arranges by size but not really, and their square things on the hangers don't equate to things like sizing or pricing, but to what week they were donated.
It's a flipping nightmare to try and find anything.
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Those markers probably help staff rotate stock. Bit unfortunate that the best-organised bit tells shoppers absolutely nothing useful.
2
u/CrazyPlatypusLady 2d ago
Yes it is for the staff. But there's next to zero organisation for the buyers. I keep wondering if they'll ever work out why they're not making money.
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Have you ever mentioned it at the till? I'd be curious whether they've had other shoppers say the same.
1
u/CrazyPlatypusLady 2d ago
Yes. Twice. One cashier looked at me like I had 3 heads and the second time it was a manager who had a go at me that they don't control what the charity tells them to do.
2
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Passing the feedback on seems a reasonable ask, even if the rules come from elsewhere. Having a go at you was unnecessary.
9
u/FloatingPencil 3d ago
I love it like that. I shop by colour - go to the colour I want, then sort sizes to see what the options are.
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
That makes sense if you know which colour you're after. I don't usually have one in mind when I'm browsing.
3
u/blackbirdonatautwire Greater London 2d ago
Its a personal preference, but often when they don’t arrange by colour I get over stimulated by all the mix of colours and patterns and am not able to actually look through the rack.
4
u/SubtleVegan 2d ago
As a goth, I actually don't mind it cause I'm only looking on the rail with black stuff in Barnardo's (only place around me that does this. Everywhere else goes by garment type)
1
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
I'd find that easier if tops and trousers had their own sections on the black rail.
9
u/SacredandBound_ 3d ago
Colour and then size is the way
2
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
I'd still have to check each colour section, but having the sizes together would help.
6
5
u/st_owly Northumberland 3d ago
The ones who use all black size cubes on the hangars are more annoying. With the coloured ones I know which colour to look for for my size, if they’re all black I have to look through everything then be disappointed when something isn’t my size e
3
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
Matching black cubes make the size markers almost pointless from a distance. Bigger numbers would help more than another beautifully coordinated rail.
3
u/red_skye_at_night 2d ago
At least charity shops usually put the sizes on the hangers, "vintage" shops almost without exception arrange by fuck-knows-what and leave you giving the items a full cavity search to find if it'll fit.
2
u/Different-Tap-530 2d ago
A size on the hanger is a fair point in their favour. 'Somewhere inside this garment' is a fairly ambitious filing system.
3
u/Naps_in_sunshine 2d ago
I flippi love ordering by colour. I don’t wear black so I go to the colourful areas and look at the size 12 section in that.
•
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Reminder: Press the Report button if you see any rule-breaking comments or posts.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.