We all have items at home we don’t use anymore – the cutlery set your nana gave you three years ago; those board games collecting dust in the cupboard; or the shirt you bought your partner that they’ll never wear.
So, what do you do with them?
You could have a garage sale or sell them on sites like Trade Me or Facebook Marketplace.
But there’s always an op shop that would love to find them a new home, and according to a new report, your donation would contribute to a huge industry.
“If someone can carry it into our store, we’ve probably sold it before,” says Briar Wakelin, the retail team manager for Mercy Hospice.
“Ultimately there is a home for everything.”
On today’s episode of The Detail, we look at the state of the op shop industry.
Charitable Reuse Aotearoa is a new organisation that launched this week, alongside its impact study. The report lays out how much of a difference op shops have on communities financially, environmentally, and socially.
As part of creating the report, charities across the country came together to provide different information about their sales, employment, and profit.
“It’s a huge milestone to come together and collaborate as a group of charities to really see what we can do together and get some settings changed and have the government recognise that we’re a significant part of the economy and the environment. And we can be a significant part of any solution,” says Charitable Reuse Aotearoa committee chair and The Salvation Army family store national manager, Gareth Marshall.
And the numbers speak for themselves. The report shows that an estimated $78 million was reinvested into social and environmental programmes and initiatives.
Households felt some relief from the cost of living with an estimated $420 saved per household a year by shopping second hand.
And 41,300 tonnes of second-hand goods was estimated to have been saved from going into landfills.
Marshall says for those in the industry, the figures aren’t unexpected.
“Those of us that run in some of the larger charities that have a number of stores around the country, we had an indication of what the numbers were from our snippet and what we knew about our own businesses … I don’t think we’re surprised, but it’s great to have that confirmed, the significance of us combined and what we are contributing back to our local communities.”
Communities are also giving back, with an estimated 1552 full-time-equivalent volunteers around the country, and 1322 full-time-equivalent paid employees.
So what bargains are op shoppers searching for?
Out of the 46.9 million second-hand items resold in 2025-2026, clothing and textiles were the most popular, with 22.6 million items sold.
This was followed closely by household and homewares, where 22 million pieces found a new home. That includes things like furniture, large appliances, toys, and games.
Op shops also resold 2.2 million building and hardware items like wood and timber products.
Wakelin says the way people view op shops and why they shop there is changing.
“I think there’s so much more awareness now about what the range of items that you can purchase in one of our stores is. People do purchase from us for gifts.
“So those beautiful items are being gifted, which is great, because they’re not just being hidden away in a cupboard [but rather] finding someone that will love it.”
And although not all donations make it to the rack, they’re still treated with the same love and care.
“I think we always remember that when we’re donating something, someone is gifting you something. If you have nothing, giving something is everything. And I think that for someone to give something and donate something to us, it’s huge,” says Wakelin.
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