Value Village selling used shaving cream for MORE than new bottle at Superstore

Feb 6 2024, 9:06 pm

It should come as no surprise that you’ll come across some strange items at Value Village, but a can of used shaving cream found at a BC store is bringing the thrift giant’s pricing practices into question once again.

During a recent trip to Value Village in Surrey, BC, we noticed many pre-opened and pre-used bathroom products sitting on shelves.

One of those items was a can of Skintimate shaving gel, priced at $3.99. The can was opened and used, as it was about half full.

Value Village

Daily Hive

Out of curiosity, we checked the price of what a new can was being sold for at Real Canadian Superstore.

The kicker is that the same can of Skintimate shaving cream (that is new and unused) sells for less than $3.49, according to Superstore’s website. It is currently on sale for on sale for $2.99.

Value Village

Real Canadian Superstore/Screenshot

Other shoppers have also spotted used bathroom items being sold at Value Village.

Last week, a customer snapped a photo of  “tons of half-used products on a dirty shelf” at a Value Village in Abbotsford, BC.

The photo includes several items like shampoos, creams, face masks, and hair dye.

Value Village

Kristy-Lee Wallace/Facebook

Recently, Value Village has also been called out for price markups on donations.

One shopper said they found second-hand dollar-store coffee mugs (that usually sell for $1 new) being priced at $3.99 at their local Value Village.

The used bathroom items — such as shaving cream — bring into question what regulations or rules thrift and second-hand stores in Canada must follow when reselling hygiene products.

Health Canada’s website mentions what cosmetics shoppers should not purchase second-hand but does not explicitly state what hygiene products second-hand retailers aren’t permitted to sell.

The government department also has several general recommendations for selling second-hand products.

Value Village

Health Canada/Screenshot

Daily Hive has reached out to Value Village for comment about its rules around reselling personal hygiene products but did not receive a response before publication.

Are you a second-hand thrift shopper who has something to share about your recent thrifting experience? Get in touch with us here.

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