Winners Shocker!

[Goddess in this Household]

I went to Winners today to return a few things I had bought at the final clearance sale that didn't work out for the kids. It wasn't a huge amount ($30), but enough that I didn't want to leave it.

The cashier ripped off the sales tag, then threw the items on the floor behind her. My jaw must have dropped right around the time that her co-workers did! Her co-worker asked her why she was doing that, and was informed that since the clearance sale was over, they were garbage.

I assume that anything that didn't sell on the final clearance sale was thrown in the trash too. Why couldn't they donate it to charity? I understand they have to protect themselves against fraudulent returns (after March 19, they will not accept any returns without a receipt), but could they not put a mark on the size tag or something to prevent this? Or how about shipping it somewhere like Haiti, where they would be very grateful for donated clothing and shoes?

Winners is one of my favourite stores, but honestly, I was somewhat disgusted by this.

[Justine]

maybe they do donate it? I have no idea what they do with returns at Winners, I thought they just put them back on the racks.

[Goddess in this Household]

Maybe with the clearance stuff, but not the final clearance stuff. I had to ask her to repeat it to make sure I got it clear, because I couldn't believe my ears!

[Chroma]

I have a friend who used to work at Winners and she said that all final clearance items that Winners cannot sell, they donate them to various charities like the salvation army.

[MissK]

In my town, Winners donate all the final clearance stuff that didn't sell to a local charity. They even told me the name of the charity.

[trucks12trucks]

This was big news back in January relating to H&M & Walmart
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06about.html
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/01...e-green-claims

They were throwing away clothes after puncturing holes in them so they could not be salvaged..why not donate to third world countries?

[frugaldeeds]

I worked at Winners and I know for a fact that items returned as 'damaged' or 'unsellable' for any reason were cut up to prevent people from finding it in the garbage later and returning without a receipt to get store credit. My store manager once cut up a full length winter coat because someone returned it with a zipper that had broken. I guess that's what the new policy is for. I won't specify which location, but it was in Toronto.

It's sad but some stores care more about saving money than helping others. Hopefully other locations do better.

[Goddess in this Household]

I just sent an email via their website asking them for their policy on this. I'll keep you posted!

While I was at it, I also asked them why their changing rooms are always so disgustingly filthy (not in those exact words, of course!). What's up with that?? Or is it just the changing rooms in the Calgary stores?

Is it obvious I'm PMSing????!!!!

[Litesandsirens911]

well I certainly hope with all the poverty these days, they at least give them to charity, or womens shelters, or even ship them to Haiti or Chile...perfectly good clothing doesn't belong in a trash can..

***Oh yeah, two weeks ago, a garbage truck driver in my neighboring town was picking up garbage from the bins at the mall...he got out to do something with the bin, and he was shocked to find HUNDREDS of brand new pairs of NIKE runners in there, tags still on and everything...he contacted the news, who did a story on it and contacted NIKE, and they said "Though they are NEW shoes, they are mis-pairs (where one is bigger or smaller than the other) or they have niks or scratches.."..when the media asked them why not donate them to charity anyways, as out of the hundreds, there were sure to be shoes that could be matched into pairs of proper sizes, they said they would investigate that.."..so sad!

[Litesandsirens911]

I just sent an email via their website asking them for their policy on this. I'll keep you posted!

While I was at it, I also asked them why their changing rooms are always so disgustingly filthy (not in those exact words, of course!). What's up with that?? Or is it just the changing rooms in the Calgary stores?

Is it obvious I'm PMSing????!!!!

The changerooms at my local Winners is spotless at all times, I actually enjoy shopping there, unlike the Victoria Winners which is always a mess...

[Lamaey]

when i worked at Metro stationed in the Fresh2Go department, you would not believe the amount of food we dispose of daily simply because they were "2 hours old". I guess they did not want to risk their reputation in case someone gets sick from "bad food" if they give it away for free to the homeless for example...or reduce the price in fear it would encourage people to wait two hours to get reduced food.

I guess similiar logics might apply here??? I think there are always benefits and consequences/risks to any business decision.

[Lynnie]

Wow! That`s really something... I hope they actually donate this. They would get great rep for donating it to charities or people that really need rather than throwing it out because of a few nicks... I`m going to Winners tomorrow too :O

[esbee]

i can't imagine why stores would cut up a perfectly good item rather than donate them to homeless shelters or something... it doesn't make ANY SENSE. i guess they aren't thinking that some people wouldn't be in their store to return it, they might actually want to USE IT. ugh. disgusting.

[matty's mom]

I work for a high end home furnishings company and we have to thrown out lamps, trays, bedding, radios- whatever we sell, that was deemed unsellable, broken or damaged. There aren't many stores in Canada, and it is too expensive to send that which might be salvageable back across the border to one of our outlets. (We once had to destroy a few beautiful crystal lamps, $500 value, because we could get the faulty socket changed out) It is a huge waste- and it kills me every time. But companies are paranoid about the bottom dollar. And they don't want things damaged "deliberately". They are just as paranoid about their employees as they are about the customers.

[freestuffforme]

I worked at Canadian Tire back in 2001 or so, and I remember being very disappointed when I learned that they threw a lot of unsellable merchandise out. For example, someone had returned a sleeping bag that had a tear in it, and it was disposed of in the locked garbage bin in the back room... Boo.