Online Op Shop: Vinnies launches e-commerce store for second-hand pre-loved fashion

Vinnies has launched an e-commerce store where fans of pre-loved fashion can shop for incredible items for a fraction of the price.

The new website and app went live on Thursday May 29, with clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories selling for a fraction of the price.

“Women, men, varying sizes across fashion, accessories and footwear … I really truly do believe we have something for everyone,” Gemma Presley, manager of Vinnies’ metro stores tells 9honey.

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“However, we know that an online customer likes to shop quickly and they like to shop fashion and trends,” she adds.

“So, whilst we’ve got a big element of trend and styling and fashionability on our e-commerce store, there’s definitely your everyday basics to suit everyone.”.

Yolanda Saiz, CEO of Vinnies, says the e-commerce store has been “under development for a number of years”.

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“So about five years ago we consolidated all of our shops into one central business and I think off the back of that we did a strategy, and quite obviously for us the gap for us was having a really engaging, interesting online presence for people to shop 24/7,” Saiz tells 9honey.

“So the idea’s been developed over the last four or five years and really over the last 18 months has really taken a big part in our launching so we’re really excited about that.”

The main distribution centre is located in Stanmore in Sydney, NSW.

Here, pre-loved items arrive from across the state and they are sorted, categorised and photographed for the site.

”So we have 220 shops across New South Wales. So they can take the donations in, hand them in over the counter and we’re really grateful for all of those donations,” Saiz explains.

“Here at our distribution centre, there’s also a donation drop point here as well, so people can donate here directly. And people donate through schools, people donate through their businesses.”

Vinnes, previously known as the St Vincent de Paul Society, was established in Australia in 1854. Today, the charity has over 45,000 members and volunteers who work in every state and territory to provide support for everyday Australians experiencing hardship.

The charity provides support through over 200 programs and services.

“We run domestic and family-based refuges, homeless services, shelters, our vans, which are out every day of the year, and care and assistance in community from our volunteers who provide care and assistance to people every day,” Saiz explains.

“Just last year in New South Wales, we provided $14 million worth of assistance to people with bills and food and those necessities and then we run close to 100 services across New South Wales for people in those times of need can turn to us for shelter and for casework and for rehabilitation.”

One recipient of Vinnies incredible work is Marney.

They 38-year-old Sydney mum first turned to the charity for help when her partner died unexpectedly in 2011.

”We lived together and I became homeless due to that and I got a place through the Department of Housing and Vinnie’s helped me furnish my place and with a washing machine, they gave me clothes as well, they also gave me like kitchen items, everything pretty much to start off,” she tells 9honey.

The charity also provided Marney with food cards and other supports until she was able to get back on her feet.

Some years later, her unit burned down, and once again, she was in need of urgent support.

”And once I got a new place, they helped me also furnish my place there, which I was really grateful for. And also, it [Vinnies} helped me with baby stuff and clothes and baby stuff,” she says.

“I would be lost without them, really, to be honest with you.”

When Marney was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, Vinnies was there for her once again.

”I’d just had treatment and I couldn’t leave the house or anything like that, so they dropped frozen meals off and they were really great actually,” she says.

Vinnies also helped pay for her transport to and from hospital.

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“They’re one of the best charities I’ve come across in a long time,” Marney says.

“And the Redfern office, I give a shout out to them. I think they’re just really caring and really helpful through everything. I couldn’t be any more grateful, really.”

Funds raised from Vinnes e-commerce store will go directly into helping Australians like Marney.

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”It’s why we’ve launched this wonderful e-commerce site to enable the work that we do,” Saiz says.

“And we’re gonna do that without judgment. People come to us and we’ll take them at face value. We listen to what their issues are and we’ll provide them the best response that we can.

“And so if people need help, I just encourage them to turn to us for help and we’ll be there to provide them.”

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