St Vincent de Paul Society’s ‘Vinnies Finds’ fashion program has celebrated its one-year anniversary in style, hosting a fashion show at a birthday event in their Stanmore warehouse in Sydney’s inner west.
The program combines traditional Vinnies op-shopping with the ease and convenience of ecommerce with a twist: Vinnies Finds is a curated list of mid- to high-end goods, allowing for designer clothes to be worn by everyone.
Designer labels Gucci, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and more available through the program, redefining what op-shopping can be.
In statement, the society said 75 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfills over the past 12 months, generating $1.4 million for the charity with 18,000 sales – the quickest made just two minutes after the product was listed.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO Yolanda Saiz said the platform’s success reflected a shift towards more mindful shopping.
“Designed to extend the life of donated goods and reduce textile waste, the platform has successfully generated vital funds that directly support Vinnies NSW programs assisting people experiencing disadvantage and hardship,” she said in a statement.
The anniversary event included a panel discussion featuring Vinnies commercial enterprise, retail, and fundraising executive director Phil Coyte, Banish recycling and diversion program CEO Lottie Dalziel, and Sarah Kaine MLC.
The panel discussed the ever-shifting shopping landscape, the changing habits of shoppers towards sustainable manufacturing and natural fibres, and the purpose of Vinnies Finds.
Coyte said the retail arm of the charity funds its good works, which includes providing meals, housing, and holistic support to the nation’s most vulnerable, but that the traditional op shops were no longer drawing in as many customers as previously.
“Our [research] showed us that online shopping was not just a fad, that it was here to stay, and that large portions of the younger generations were turning to that online shopping experience as their go-to retail experience,” he said.
Coyte, who has been with the charity for 26 years, reflected on its evolution over the years, referring to his role as “change management.”
“We’ve had to adapt to changing demographics, changing economics, changing ways of doing things right now in the retail space,” he said.
“I think the key things is Vinnies has become more strategic overall in how they operate and how they function.”
