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SHOPPING ETHICALLY THIS CHRISTMAS ✦ Have you ever thought about shopping second hand at Christmas? We talked to Kurt Russell from Lifeline about shopping ethically this Christmas.
✳ “It's a feel-good shopping situation. It also satisfies the treasure hunt aspect to your shopping as well. You never know what you come across at an op-shop, especially at Lifeline Op-Shops. There is a certain amount of adventure about it.” - Kurt Russel, Lifeline Mid Coast
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Lifeline Shops' Business Manager Kurt Russell with Retail Manager Jemma McDonald
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here is a movement to normalise secondhand gifts, handmade gifts, consumable gifts, experience gifts and small business gifts. Giving pre-loved gifts is long past being tacky. It’s seen as socially responsible gift giving and is slowly becoming normalised.
We spoke to Kurt Russell the Business Manager for Lifeline Mid Coast about choosing Lifeline to purchase Christmas presents this year
Many people have grown up feeling like only new items carry the weight of a generous spirit. But if done right, second-hand gifting is not only a great way to save money, but helpful in cutting down on stuff that ends up as clutter.
“There are many reasons to shop at Lifeline this Christmas. A few of them include that Lifeline is prevalent in the community providing suicide prevention programs and the secondhand industry is a much greener way to go than purchasing new, low cost, fast fashion. So, it’s twice as beneficial.”
When you think that the average kid plays with only 12 toys, but owns 238, pressure exists to provide family members with the best, new, shiny presents they can find. Not too many decades ago, dolls were taken to the “doll hospital” and given a new lease of life and regifted for Christmas. There was pleasure in receiving an upgraded version of a much loved and cherished toy. Buying second-hand gifts for Christmas or other occasions sounds nice in theory, and maybe second-hand gifts would be fine for the immediate family, but what about extended family and friends? What about that fussy relative with high gift expectations?
“It's a feel-good shopping situation. It also satisfies the treasure hunt aspect to your shopping as well. You never know what you come across at an op-shop, especially at Lifeline Op-Shops. There is a certain amount of adventure about it.” The shopping itself is fun and the end result is getting a unique gift to give someone.
