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October 2024 by Sarah Patterson
This store used to be filled with good finds at affordable prices, but I am sad to report the opposite is now true, and it has been for the past couple of years. I keep returning and hoping, in case it changes back. So far, no luck.
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October 2024 by Regann Erickson
I usually love St. Vinny’s! This location has a great set up and a wonderful selection. I would however recommend avoiding this store when it is near closing. The staff who close the store are unhelpful and frankly rude. They seem to wander around the store watching customers shop, hoping that they will leave. It’s an uncomfortable experience the last hour they are open. I highly recommend avoiding the store at this time otherwise you will get some dirty looks and comments. They will wait for you outside the dressing rooms and slam the door behind you. Overall an unpleasant shopping experience.
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September 2024 by Kristi S
Great place to donate-clear instructions on what’s acceptable. And I always find a good buy.
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August 2024 by Wilson Q
quick and easy drive thru drop off for donations but prices and more expensive than other thrift stores
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August 2024 by Bev
Very much enjoy shopping here. Good prices, nice clean store, lots to choose from. I’m a regular shopper!
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July 2024 by Jeff State
This St. Vinnie's used to be my go-to thrift store, but some management must have changed, because pricing on the items that I use to gauge similar stores got jacked up.
I noticed two identical bathroom scales. Pricing inconsistency is an ever present issue in thrift stores, since you can't just have one person doing all the pricing. One of my measurements is done by checking out digital bathroom scales. In this case, one was $3.00 and one was $6.50. They were exactly the same models — EatSmart brand, IIRC.
About 5mos ago, a St. Vinnie's rep replied to a review, regarding an upset customer who found 3 items that she wanted to buy. However, none of these 3 items has price tags, so their sale was refused. The review's response from the St. Vinnie's rep said that it's "company policy" to not sell items without price tags.
That's understandable, when consumers are suspected of removing tags. I always check out VCRs, another one of my thrift store pricing gauges. After only look at 3 separate units, 2 of them had no tags. Electronics should be one of the primary money makers, so why they remained tagless is beyond me.
Besides the tagless items, there were items that were simply overpriced — many had prices approaching large retailers' new, open box pricing. Thrifting here got expensive, but maybe other St Vinnie's locations are more reasonable.
I attached a picture of a basic aluminum pot, weighing almost nothing, with dismal heat conductivity. This was priced at $10.50. Then, a basic sauce pan with non-stick coating was priced at $13.50. Is pricing simply decided based from the max you've sold similar items for, how someone is feeling that day, or did someone with the price gun forget that they're pricing secondhand items?
I understand, you still do a great job of presentation, and a large, newish store costs is expensive to lease and operate, especially considering current inflation. Conversely, when driving out of the parking lot, there were 5 vans and SUVs lined up in the donation center, all packed to the gills with donation items. Add free donation pick-ups, and that's a lot of sales volume that's missing the mark.
There were a few worthwhile items that I had considering purchasing, until it came to sticker shock. Maybe your reviews and sales volume don't yet reflect this feedback, as it's a lagging indicator, so send a couple of secret shoppers around town and do more comprehensive R&D.
Considering my experiences with this store, your pricing standards simply became out of touch with many of your shoppers' expectations. I overheard multiple people with similar sentiment.
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July 2024 by Driftlessdude
Great place to find great deals! You never know what has been donated and what treasure you may find. One of my favorite Madison stops! Plus Habitat for Humanity Reuse Center is right next door!!
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May 2024 by Elena Ross
This is the best St Vinny’s I’ve been to, especially for women’s clothing. They keep everything really nicely organized and everyone who works there is very friendly.
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May 2024 by Rena Mathieson
Store was clean and organized. Prices were ridiculously high!! These are Savers prices, not thrift prices
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May 2024 by Kayla Moon
Quickly popped into this St. Vinny's.... first few racks had $34 - $64 for semi-nice brand jeans, dresses, & shoes. I am not kidding. $64! They get their merchandise for free. It's greedy and sadly, all St. Vinny's are charging similar amounts. We won't be supporting them anymore and suggest people stop donating here.
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May 2024 by Judith Hutchinson
Friendly service.
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April 2024 by Olivia Helm
I have been to so many thrift stores of St. Vincent de Paul in my lifetime. This is by far the most outrageously priced thrift store I have ever been in. Everything is priced as though this is a vintage resale store in downtown Chicago. Super disappointing considering all of the items were donated. So it really doesn’t make sense to have a used walmart jacket priced over $20, ridiculous considering this is meant to be a ministry and help the community, specifically those who are low income.
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February 2024 by Akilah Hawkins
For starters, I just purchased a cup TWO DAYS before I went to this store and it was in PERFECT CONDITION. (No leaks/ No dents/ No cuts/ No burns). When I go to the store and it’s time for me to leave and pay for my items, I accidentally left my cup at the cash register. A bit upset because I didn’t want to lose my brand new cup, especially knowing that I left it at a secondhand store. I call the store but I was already halfway home when I realized, and I live nowhere near close to the store. Eventually, I get in contact with them. At first, I was told that they didn’t see the cup, but I didn’t take that for an answer cause I eagerly wanted my cup back, knowing that was a spoon full of bull. But eventually, they told me they had the cup, and it was just a mistake or whatever. And I scheduled to pick it up the next day and when I receive my cup it has dents all over it. And now, suddenly, it’s leaking at the bottom it appears to me that the rubber that was underneath that cut the cup clothes was BURNT. I don’t know if the employees was upset that I wanted my cup back or whatever it was, but it was in poor care even when I came to pick it up the day after, and I am highly outraged about my new cup.
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January 2024 by Becky Loy
It's a nice store and most employees are nice. I found three things I wanted to buy, but they didn't have price tags. Cashier told me she couldn't sell them to me. Please make sure everything is priced or allow the Manager to put a price on it. Thanks.
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January 2024 by Victoria Metz
This St. Vincent in Madison Wi Odana Rd. is absolutely wonderful. I have never had a bad experience. The employees are very helpful and truly pleasant. It is 30 minutes from me but well worth the trip. They have a wide variety of goods and a nice jewelry counter.
