Surfing Salvos Stores

10 October 2021

Getting the most from your online shopping experience

Words Darryl Whitecross

October is ‘Buy Nothing New’ month. It’s a time to think about living sustainably and making smarter lifestyle choices about what we buy and how to reuse, recycle and dispose of our purchases.

Online shopping was popular before the COVID-19 pandemic began and, in many situations nationally and globally, ongoing lockdowns and restrictions have dramatically increased its uptake. For many, shopping online has been the only means of purchasing everything from birthday gifts to medical supplies.

There are ways to get the best from your online experience, and that includes shopping second-hand.

Aife O’Loughlin, Salvos Stores Customer Experience Manager for The Salvation Army Australia, says Salvos Stores online had been up and running for more than 12 months, but using the site was not limited to people in extended lockdowns in NSW and Victoria. It was available to everyone, any time.

Getting started

Faye De Lanty is a Salvos Stores ambassador, eco stylist and ‘fount of all knowledge’ on shopping second-hand. Below are her tips on how to surf the Salvos Stores website most effectively and how to spot the bargains.

Faye says anyone who had been to a Salvos Store would realise there were “amazing finds” for the entire family – “even pets” – and that the same surprises await the online shopper.

• Set up an account at salvosstores.com.au to help make the checkout process easier.
• Once in the online store, explore the first page of each category you’re interested in, as the most recent listings will be on those pages.

Explore further

• “ … refine your search such as Men’s > shirts > business shirts > white, for example,” Faye says. “Search by item, designer, style, particular store you love or just hunt with abandon as you would in any thrift store.”
• Look out for ‘50 per cent off’ bargains each week, which are indicated by the colour tag of the week in the collection section.

If an item does not fit or is not what was expected, shoppers have 30 days from purchase to return the item and receive a full refund.

Customer support is also a click of a button away. This provides a quick response and guide to sort out any issues.

Faye says the most important tip was to treat online shopping as a “normal” shopping experience. “Be discerning [and] buy things you know you will truly love, what you need, what you know is going to work for you, what you will use or wear often and will suit your lifestyle.”

The site will also allow clothing shoppers to check the fabric quality and whether they are made using natural fibres.

“Look to the fashion runway, high street and social media for trend inspiration before you shop,” Faye suggests. “I love exploring style websites to get me excited.” 

Many well-known and respected labels in clothes and accessories are part of the shopping experience – even brands of appliances and homewares, sporting goods, musical instruments, book authors and recording artists. There are also beauty products, toys, furniture, art, and collectables – all available online at salvosstores.com.au