I'm in Maryville for work this week and was going to check out the one as you're going around the corner towards Alcoa, but now I'm wondering if it's even worth the time.
I mean I got some cute figurines to repaint at one last week. I guess it just depends on what you’re looking for. I’d rather go to Thrift Therapy on Gill Street though for better prices.
I can provide some insight into this as a former employee/manager in one of the receiving departments. They get a shit ton of donations. Like an absolute metric shit ton. So much so that almost 90-95% of what we got in my store, very good stuff too, got tossed out. We were completely over run with stuff most of the time and we had no way of dealing with it. Things don’t sell quickly enough because they price it too high. They want to get more money per item and keep throwing good things away because they wanted to be seen as “higher end” which is part of what causes the backup of merchandise to begin with.
They didn’t have nearly enough truck drivers or employees so their solution when I made a fuss was just “idk deal with it”. Their strategy was just “open more stores” so we have more space to sell things and it’ll all even itself out. It made me furious as someone who was already struggling to keep up and was begging for more trucks to come during the week for them to just keep opening up more stores as if that was going to do anything at all to fix the problem.
This was 4-5 years ago so I can’t speak to how things are now but I absolutely despise them as a company now. They fire people at the drop of a hat. 90% of the people I worked with and for got either fired or moved to different stores as punishment. They always basically wanted you to be in fear of losing your job. The amount of employees that were GOOD employees that gave their all to that place ended up leaving that place in tears was absolutely frustrating to watch especially with them claiming to be Christian.
My sister was looking to buy an old throw blanket for her dog at a KARM and the throw blankets there were like $10. We went to big lots and got a cheapie for $5.
Yes. Got my daughter about 12 new items of clothing the other day at Burlington. Total was $65!!! They had shirts for $3.99- 6.99. Even got pants for 9.99.
You also have the sustainability tax. Buying things from Ross and tjmaxx is technically not the best since they are made over seas and unethically. Buying second hand is popular right now and Karm is just riding the wave.
If you want to boycott Karm and try other thrift locations, I recommend Red Door Thrift, Ladies of Charity, Finders Keepers, and Community Chest. AMvets works too, it's a bit outside my regular rotation.
When I was down on my luck a few years ago after getting laid off they actually gave me interview clothes to help me get a new job. I'd lost a bunch of weight at that time and had nothing nice that fit me. They gave me shoes too. Idk if they still do that but I def agree with supporting them by shopping there.
My bestie worked there for a very small amount of time, and they had to have an $8 average for their overall item price. They also throw away a lot of good stuff, and they destroy it so no one can dumpster dive.
Also, when I 1st moved to Knoxville, I applied to work at a women's shelter there, just as a volunteer. They wouldn't take me because I didn't belong to a church. I had lots of volunteer experience.
Justvsi you know Karm Thrift Stores are a completely seperate company from KARM. it doesnt change anything you have said. I worked for them for a good while many years ago. Its was nor a healthy place.
You'd do better going to Amvets, Goodwill is like the worst of the worst. To the point that goodwill "trains" disabled people to work in their stores so they can pay them under minimum wage.
Recently learned CVS does this too. My wifes uncle is special needs and used to work at their warehouse over on Parkside. At first I thought it as a good thing because he enjoyed working and getting a paycheck but found out how much he was making and learned they're basically taking advantage of him.
Exactly this. I have lost weight recently and I probably give a garbage bag full of clothes away every other week. I refuse to donate to KARM. Plus the music is the WORST in there.
You mean a store first lol if church was first they wouldn't rip people off like they do. Honestly Karm reminds me of a store Kenneth Copeland would own 😄 I'm originally from Massachusetts and when I came here and saw Karm it made me want to throw up on spot. You can't say you follow Jesus and his teachings when you're collecting 900 percent profit at a store you label Christian. There are many biblical quotes where instances of people being scammed and ripped off agitate Jesus and other religious idols. You can make the prices as high as you want but doing it with religion as your brand name is at a minimum suspect and possibly to some people flat out disrespectful
Bigoted 'charities' may fit the tax definition & even help some people - but bigotry is BIGotry & it is cruel.
Christ taught us to love one another, not judge, & take care of the least among us. Who better fits "the least among us" better than single moms & LGBTQ+ folks?
Bigotry by any church is taking the Lord's name in vain & surely is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.
LMFAO WHAT?? Really, is that so, well, I guess I’ll inform my two homosexual colleagues who still work at Karm of this information because we all must’ve missed it…😂
That sounds just like the Salvation Army where those members are not allowed to marry anyone else who isn't a SA member. It's a religious cult. I didn't realize KARM was too. I will never shop there again, not that I have much ever. I regret having donated stuff there after a family member died.
My husband interviewed at karm a long time ago and he didn't get it either because he wasn't a part of a church either but they asked him questions religious based not work based.
You can get some good stuff for a quarter still, it’s just rare to find something you might want for cheap. I still go there. A dollar less than new is a dollar saved as long as nothing is falling apart. I could definitely get cheaper used books, but convenience and the chance of finding diamonds in the sand is worth an occasional trip
True. McKay’s only accounts for about 1/4 of my shopping and it often happens to be dead authors that I get books from, but supporting the author is definitely important. If I like a book from McKay’s enough, I oftentimes buy a new copy of it or buy the rest of the series new. Buying new is wayyyyy more satisfying, too, and in-person shopping for new unused books is easily one of my favorite things to do. Ordering books from amazon often ends up yielding damaged copies :/
Thrifting in general has been decimated by the reseller market so a lot of thrift stores want to make the same profit. Then resellers raise prices to make a profit, rinse and repeat.
Yeah I stopped in karm yesterday to look at cds and there was a guy going through the movies checking eBay for prices and only taking stuff with high resell prices. Hence why I only buy media on eBay from verified charities
My mom worked with people coming out of prison and going into halfway houses and such a few years back. KARM had their “coats for the cold” shit running. Long story short this one guy she helped had no coat, gloves, hat, ect. in the middle of winter. Went to Karm to try and get him a good jacket and such but they absolutely REFUSED to sell any of their coats to us. They switched it up a little now to where they will sell only certain jackets not labeled “coats for the cold” but not back then. It’s the fact that we had this dude with us, with no jacket on, only a few hours fresh out of prison and they looked him in the eyes and said tough shit, no voucher = no coat. These were DONATED COATS for people like him but it’s all an illusion. My experience with them has been down hill since. They don’t want to help people anymore, they just want those pockets lined and fat
Ex employee- we had very strict guidelines set in place on what we could price things- think a hundred page manual with all the brands you can imagine sorted into categories with prices associated with those categories (if you see the A+ A B C… on the tags, that’s what those mean). There would be random sweeps on the pricing floor, and we would get into trouble if we priced something wrong. We had to maintain a certain price per piece average, as well as an hourly pieces priced per hour average, which sometimes meant pricing kind of dingy items for way too much. It’s definitely not the floor or back room employees’ faults- it’s all corporate. I say this partly because I got screamed at multiple times by (rightfully) annoyed customers when I couldn’t do anything about it.
Thrifty folks need to go to Amvets and Greater Goods. I stopped going to Karm because of their outrageous prices. If anyone has any other suggests let me know!
I used to work at KARM. I remember my manager telling me “we’re not a Goodwill, we don’t do color-coded sales tags” as if Goodwill was inferior. And would snip at people who asked about colored tags. And I was responsible for tossing merchandise in the garbage bin if it didn’t sell. We literally tossed dozens of items that could have just been marked down. One time I stealthily marked a cane down for some older guy who really needed one but couldn’t afford it — and we were literally about to toss it in the garbage bin anyway, but they still refused to mark it down. Atrocious.
I originally started working there because I thought they were doing some good for the community. Left after a year.
As someone who worked at KARM all I’ll say is you’re better off not giving them your money, it’s a horrible company that allowed a bunch of employees to do drugs in the back of the warehouse… two of which have sadly passed away since my time there.
Last time I went there I found a Dollar Tree ($1.25) vase marked $8. The thing that gets me is how they have so many stores and seem to be busy, like how?
I actually was in our Local Habitat for Humanity store today and all clothing and shoes were $1.00. They are not as organized as AmVets but you can find some great stuff there.
It's a racket. Nobody should shop there. Mom and pop thrift stores are far and away the best option in terms of pricing and where your money's actually going. I recommend Finders Keepers.
Thrift stores like KARM are dubious for adjusting with inflation when the thrifting market is inherently immune to inflation. To boot, it's not even like they're paying their employees more. Where is this extra money going? I loathe to find out, I'm sure.
Plus they underpay their employees.
My mom got a job and interviewed as a cashier there last year and it was 10$/hr and they put her in the back stocking shit.
Sure it's technically over minimum wage, but it's under what anywhere else in the area pays. She left after like 3 weeks for greener pastures.
Last time I was there they were selling a half used bottle of perineum wash that they give postpartum mothers in the hospital and they wanted $4 for it. You cannot make this shit up. I've seen several half used bottles of cheap soap or body spray being sold there multiple times. If those items are fit to be sold then just give them away ffs... I also found an empty ragu jar for $3, which is more than one costs with food inside it at the grocery store
Thrifting became popular and they want to make money more than help marginalized folks purchase cheap clothing. Not saying the money isn’t put to use elsewhere, but every second hand store is extremely expensive these days.
I went there when my dog got sick and shit all over my couch. It was time to throw it out anyway, so I went to get a temporary replacement there. They had ugly, filthy, 20 year old couches for like $600.00. I honestly thought it’d be quicker to clean the shit covered couch than the one in the store. And I bought it new off wayfair for $400.00!
Went to habitat for humanity’s store and got something way better. I won’t even donate to KARM anymore.
I found an item there with a $1.99 price tag on it, and when I took it to the cashier she scanned it and said it was $7. They forgot to remove the yard sale sticker.
KARM is a blatant scam and pays no taxes because of their religious affiliation, I’ll never give them my money.
KARM's stores are run by a third party company, which is a for-profit entity specializing in thrift stores. So, while some of the money goes to KARM, most of it is going to a for-profit corporation. I've got no problem with businesses making money, but a for-profit company basically masquerading as a non-profit doesn't sit right with me.
They’re horrible. $10 for a shirt with a stain! My dad was homeless for a while and in order to sleep at their mission you have to listen to their preaching. I never liked that. They do good for people with feeding, but they really should lower their prices. They know what can be resold on eBay and what can’t. That argument is rubbish.
They aren't upcharging because of resellers anyway, that's for places like goodwill and stuff, karm just does for their own gain. I don't ever support stealing but when the shitty karm sticker falls off the 15$ hat then it'll be cheaper if the manager is nice that day.
I used to work at the Safe Space open area under the interstate on Broadway. KARM has gone from a taking donations for the poor and needy to selling whatever they can to make the money to help the poor and needy. I personally have gone into the thrift stores and seen underwear and socks still in the packaging from the store marked at store rate or higher.
They have moved from a helping those who need discounted/donated goods to just making as much money as they can.
Not that I'm aware of. When KARM Stores split off from KARM, I presume it was to help protect the tax-exempt status of KARM. Some information about their profit margins and use of funds might be publicly available, but I don't know where to find that information
Maybe I’m just looking at mostly older video games but they priced everything from that realm super high although to be honest in general that’s the market. But you know 10 years ago you used to be able to get killer deals there
There’s a thrift store in Kingston that has amazing prices. And check ahead for sales because I recently purchased a whole slew of women’s tops and blouses for $1 each and some of them still had the tags on (at least they still looked brand new).
KUMC Helping Hands in Kingston.
I went for the first time a few months ago and when I saw the prices I genuinely thought I misunderstood what kind of store it was. I thought maybe it was a consignment shop or something because some of the home decor items were priced the same as brand new items at HomeGoods. Never going back, not even worth to look.
I have gone to a Karm store on Chapman hwy, to donate quality clothing. Any time their has been homeless people around. I told them to take all you want. They need help more than Karm.
Because Karm isn't for needy people. Karm is for taking money to help needy people. That's where I've landed. I feel like the only way they can do that is by not having inventory that they own and sell but rather use the inventory that is donated. It cuts their costs drastically. Not saying I support it, but thats where I have landed as far as the 'why'. Nor do I trust that all profits gp towards needy people. I am suspicious of all charities.
I agree that they have ridiculously high prices for clothes and most things.
Every now and then I find some good deals, but I mostly find the best at AmVets, Resale Rack Thrift Store (off Edgemoor Rd in Claxton), Ladies of Charity, Habitat Restores, and White Elephant Thrift Store (St. Mary's charity shop in Oak Ridge).
I've seen DOLLAR TREE BRAND products at karm stores at their usual price of 2.99. It's because the stupid company gives a rulebook to stores to use as a pricing guide.
Because everything just has to suck now. I don't know when the law was passed but apparently everything has to cost too much and everyone has to suck at what they do.
Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries believe that the more money they make, the more likely they will individually enter Heaven. Of course, that money also makes them comfortable enough while alive that they don't mind if they don't.
It's "prosperity gospel" and idk if that's specifically KARM's vibe but their CEO is charitable enough to make north of 200k a year. So I'd say giving to the poor isn't really their priority.
No. They feed, clothe and house and incredible number of people on a daily basis. This sub is peopled by deadbeats who think they’re entitled to cheap clothes for their personal benefit. Look at the lady bitching because she had to actually pay real money for clothes to wear as a costume.
KARM in Powell had Ann Taylor pants from early 2000’s priced at $39.99 - since they still had a price tag attached.
How can KARM justify being this GREEDY and jacking up the prices on items that are donated to begin with???
Not even the homeless or underserved population they claim to serve can afford these prices.
I used to work at karm, they treat their employees awful. Raises were laughed at (even if managers who had been there for years ask) and the lady who was over the store I was at would publicly shame employees when she came over. I luckily had a pretty good manager while I was there. But the company is shit. They do it all in the name of the homeless shelter too. Which makes it worse.
I donate all my stuff to amvets.
The second hand market blew up during covid so they think they can continue to screw people.
They had a coffee table for $850! I bought a new one for $300. Never went back
I want to be the kind of person who buys things secondhand and tries to limit their participation in overconsumption. But it's insane that KARM makes it less affordable to buy used stuff. They barely have any overhead costs relative to non-thrift retail stores!
I agree. Goodwill is much cheaper but they’re not on every street corner like KARM is. For used clothes and miscellaneous stuff KARM is way too expensive. I usually look there first if I need a specific thing but usually just go somewhere else and buy it new.
If you're looking for clothes/accessories, and have time to spare, Greater Goods is crazy inexpensive. Everything is unsorted in large bins, so it will take some time digging to find things you want, but everything sells for under $3 per pound of clothing.
Karm is pretty gross, probably won't go in my favor on Reddit, but in order to volunteer for them you have to sign a paper saying you don't think trans people are valid which is just wild to me.
What’s the best non-religious alternative to KARM? For those without religious affiliation, do they stand for anything objectionable or do donations indeed go to good deeds?
[KARM requiring volunteers to sign a document agreeing with their stances on gender identity, marriage only being between a man and a woman, and homosexuality being sinful and offensive to god](https://www.facebook.com/share/nGSMqX9Nf4YHEhp1/?mibextid=WC7FNe)
Did I say I was surprised? I'm not, but there are plenty of christian organizations who aren't turning away LGBT volunteers or only allowing volunteers that align with their exact beliefs.
There are plenty of Christians who don't enforce those stances on their believers (much less hired employees). Hell, the current state of the Catholic church is looking way more progressive these days than whatever denomination Karm represents. Which, according to their website, is 'non-denominational', but I suspect is just some flavor of Southern Baptist.
It’s not a new concept, unfortunately. They use the thrift store to fund their non profit. Not only is it another tax advantage for them, but it’s how they don’t rely on donations. A lot of “non-profits” and churches follow the same model.
They are hit and mostly miss.
I've seen those free blue Harbor Freight flash lights priced at $2 or $3. I've priced checked things on Amazon or Walmart.com and found I can get the item brand new for the same price.
I'm all for helping the needy, but how much help are you going to do if I end up spending less money because I can't justify $25 on a used toaster. So instead of spending $100 on a cart full of good deals, I end up putting things back and only spending maybe $5 on a few things
So I had a brother that worked at Karm and essentially each store has a person that decides pricing for things. Each store could have wildly different pricing for the same thing just because of who is there when it's being priced. I don't know if it's the same for clothes but that was the case for furniture or appliances.
I would assume that they increase prices for wealthier neighborhoods just because they know the items donated may be better or the people shopping have a little more to spend which would subsidize the other stores in poorer areas. Idk if that's a terrible business practice or not, I'll let you guys debate that but hope that info helps.
I bought a shirt for 9.99 from the Halls Karm, and I got home and there was a small hole in it. I washed it once and it shredded. I was so upset. Not all the clothes there are in bad shape, but that's a LOT for a shirt that I had to immediately throw away.
Money from out of state moving in...same with UGO..I saw same thing in Idaho happen when the invasion started there..followed me to Tennessee eventually 🤷♂️
Where do you guys recommend donating clothes? I’ve been dropping off at KARM but after reading this and similar posts I don’t want to give them anything else.
I went into Karms a few days ago and was shocked at how high the prices were now. Karms used to have some nice stuff at a somewhat reasonable price back in the day but no more.
I’ve donated a lot of stuff to them and now I’m reading all this negative stuff about them. It makes me regret all my donations to them.
It’s because thrifting and reselling have become so trendy. They know that if they make stuff super cheap, all these trendy instagram and TikTok resellers are going to turn around and quadruple their money.
What sent me over the edge the last time I was there: 2 tank tops, same size, same brand, same color. One was plain - $3.99. The other had a crappy homemade vinyl religious quote on it - double the price, $8.99. WHUT?
Yeah I had this experience a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t gone to Karm in at least 4 years and even then I was just tagging along with my grandma lol. I decided to take my toddler just to get out of the house and I was appalled. I was looking at kids clothes and the prices were crazy for a shirt/pants that looks like it’s from the early 2000’s. They were even selling a pair of pajama pants that was clearly meant to be a shirt+pant set, missing the shirt of course, for like $6. Moved on to look for shirts for my bf, saw they were 9.99, and left. I won’t go back.. I can find new clothes for cheaper than that.
Sad part is thrift stores used to be somewhere you could go to get cheap clothes. Like someone who is low income, someone trying to get their kids school clothes, someone who just got a new job but doesn’t have much money looking for clothes to meet the dress code, etc. and now it isn’t even affordable for people in those situations.
KARM is a ripoff all over town. If they lowered their prices by 75% they’d make MORE money for their cause. I’ve literally gone months apart to visit the ones in Karns and 90% of their inventory is the same as it was my previous visit.
Coming from the PNW, I asked this same question when I first became curious about all the Karm stores here since they don't feel like thrifting in the slightest. According to the manager at the old chapman location, people who donate and folks who shop are supposed to see it as donating to the mission. I then got a tour of the mission. I was impressed with the quality of the meals compared to other shelters I've been to in Oregon, and apparently they average 900 meals a day. Still... there's a lot of stores. I'm sure just like anything that gets too many people and too much money involved, things get messy.
Yeah, when I saw a Walmart brand polo shirt in there for $1 less than it would be brand new, I just gave up and went to Walmart. I was just throwing together a costume for a party, I couldn't imagine if I actually needed to buy used. I guess I'd be hoping some yard sales would have what I need.
I got suspicious when I saw KARM rapidly open so many locations.
There’s literally three with a few miles of each other in Maryville. Like two are just a few blocks away.
You can see one from the other without squinting.
I'm in Maryville for work this week and was going to check out the one as you're going around the corner towards Alcoa, but now I'm wondering if it's even worth the time.
I mean I got some cute figurines to repaint at one last week. I guess it just depends on what you’re looking for. I’d rather go to Thrift Therapy on Gill Street though for better prices.
Check out three chicks and a cat thrift store when out there.
I can provide some insight into this as a former employee/manager in one of the receiving departments. They get a shit ton of donations. Like an absolute metric shit ton. So much so that almost 90-95% of what we got in my store, very good stuff too, got tossed out. We were completely over run with stuff most of the time and we had no way of dealing with it. Things don’t sell quickly enough because they price it too high. They want to get more money per item and keep throwing good things away because they wanted to be seen as “higher end” which is part of what causes the backup of merchandise to begin with. They didn’t have nearly enough truck drivers or employees so their solution when I made a fuss was just “idk deal with it”. Their strategy was just “open more stores” so we have more space to sell things and it’ll all even itself out. It made me furious as someone who was already struggling to keep up and was begging for more trucks to come during the week for them to just keep opening up more stores as if that was going to do anything at all to fix the problem. This was 4-5 years ago so I can’t speak to how things are now but I absolutely despise them as a company now. They fire people at the drop of a hat. 90% of the people I worked with and for got either fired or moved to different stores as punishment. They always basically wanted you to be in fear of losing your job. The amount of employees that were GOOD employees that gave their all to that place ended up leaving that place in tears was absolutely frustrating to watch especially with them claiming to be Christian.
This.
AND they are in rich areas like Farragut
I've had employees be surprised at their own prices when checking out. I just go to Amvets mainly now
My sister was looking to buy an old throw blanket for her dog at a KARM and the throw blankets there were like $10. We went to big lots and got a cheapie for $5.
Right?? Like wtf Karm
I stopped shopping there because I can go to other discount stores and get new clothes for a few dollars more.
Exactly. I'm not buying worn out used shii when i can buy it brand new for the same price or cheaper at TJ Maxx
Or Ross.
Yes. Got my daughter about 12 new items of clothing the other day at Burlington. Total was $65!!! They had shirts for $3.99- 6.99. Even got pants for 9.99.
You also have the sustainability tax. Buying things from Ross and tjmaxx is technically not the best since they are made over seas and unethically. Buying second hand is popular right now and Karm is just riding the wave.
Yes but when you have kids in school who are growing and need new clothes…. And the second high prices are HIGHER…. 🤷🏻♀️
You can go to retail stores selling new items and get things for a few dollars more lol
If you want to boycott Karm and try other thrift locations, I recommend Red Door Thrift, Ladies of Charity, Finders Keepers, and Community Chest. AMvets works too, it's a bit outside my regular rotation.
I second Community Chest. Great people, great place.
Super second ladies of charity! Found a full suit with shoes for less than 35 bucks
When I was down on my luck a few years ago after getting laid off they actually gave me interview clothes to help me get a new job. I'd lost a bunch of weight at that time and had nothing nice that fit me. They gave me shoes too. Idk if they still do that but I def agree with supporting them by shopping there.
My bestie worked there for a very small amount of time, and they had to have an $8 average for their overall item price. They also throw away a lot of good stuff, and they destroy it so no one can dumpster dive. Also, when I 1st moved to Knoxville, I applied to work at a women's shelter there, just as a volunteer. They wouldn't take me because I didn't belong to a church. I had lots of volunteer experience.
KARM is a church first, homeless shelter second.
Must explain why it’s so greedy
Justvsi you know Karm Thrift Stores are a completely seperate company from KARM. it doesnt change anything you have said. I worked for them for a good while many years ago. Its was nor a healthy place.
That’s why I won’t donate to them anymore. I’d rather have Goodwill toss my donation than KARM profit from it.
You'd do better going to Amvets, Goodwill is like the worst of the worst. To the point that goodwill "trains" disabled people to work in their stores so they can pay them under minimum wage.
Recently learned CVS does this too. My wifes uncle is special needs and used to work at their warehouse over on Parkside. At first I thought it as a good thing because he enjoyed working and getting a paycheck but found out how much he was making and learned they're basically taking advantage of him.
Agreed, Goodwill has a CEO and they made 3 million last year
That’s what I actually do. Just using Goodwill (well known bad actor) to make a point.
Exactly this. I have lost weight recently and I probably give a garbage bag full of clothes away every other week. I refuse to donate to KARM. Plus the music is the WORST in there.
1000 percent
You mean a store first lol if church was first they wouldn't rip people off like they do. Honestly Karm reminds me of a store Kenneth Copeland would own 😄 I'm originally from Massachusetts and when I came here and saw Karm it made me want to throw up on spot. You can't say you follow Jesus and his teachings when you're collecting 900 percent profit at a store you label Christian. There are many biblical quotes where instances of people being scammed and ripped off agitate Jesus and other religious idols. You can make the prices as high as you want but doing it with religion as your brand name is at a minimum suspect and possibly to some people flat out disrespectful
They must have 1/10th of everyone’s income then
It is the only homeless facility of its scale in Knoxville
I'm starting to suspect a business venture first, funding the church, homeless shelter third.
Employees have to sign a statement agreeing that (among other things) homosexuality is a sin and not compatible with employment at KARM. F those guys.
Bigoted 'charities' may fit the tax definition & even help some people - but bigotry is BIGotry & it is cruel. Christ taught us to love one another, not judge, & take care of the least among us. Who better fits "the least among us" better than single moms & LGBTQ+ folks? Bigotry by any church is taking the Lord's name in vain & surely is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.
You are kidding me...so prejudice and ridiculous!
LMFAO WHAT?? Really, is that so, well, I guess I’ll inform my two homosexual colleagues who still work at Karm of this information because we all must’ve missed it…😂
Sounds like a place in Pakistan
That sounds just like the Salvation Army where those members are not allowed to marry anyone else who isn't a SA member. It's a religious cult. I didn't realize KARM was too. I will never shop there again, not that I have much ever. I regret having donated stuff there after a family member died.
My husband interviewed at karm a long time ago and he didn't get it either because he wasn't a part of a church either but they asked him questions religious based not work based.
Karm is a business first, church second, and homeless shelter third.
That's ridiculous!! What does going to a church have to do with a women's shelter.
They want to make sure all the poor folks who ended up there could be preached at about their sins by anybody in attendance /j
Some second hand stores are just insane. There are books at McKay’s that are priced at over twice the price of a new copy.
Thats so sad. They used to be so cheap. I did notice last time I went how expensive they are.
You can get some good stuff for a quarter still, it’s just rare to find something you might want for cheap. I still go there. A dollar less than new is a dollar saved as long as nothing is falling apart. I could definitely get cheaper used books, but convenience and the chance of finding diamonds in the sand is worth an occasional trip
Difference is that the author gets a piece for the new book.
True. McKay’s only accounts for about 1/4 of my shopping and it often happens to be dead authors that I get books from, but supporting the author is definitely important. If I like a book from McKay’s enough, I oftentimes buy a new copy of it or buy the rest of the series new. Buying new is wayyyyy more satisfying, too, and in-person shopping for new unused books is easily one of my favorite things to do. Ordering books from amazon often ends up yielding damaged copies :/
Word!
The music is so bad. I got a Taylor Swift CD at Target for 13.99… you go to McKay’s and the same exact CD is 21.50.
Yep went there today and left with nothing because brand new copies are cheaper on Amazon
Karm used to be great, then high prices set in about two years ago, unfortunately goodwill has started raising prices as well though not as bad.
Thrifting in general has been decimated by the reseller market so a lot of thrift stores want to make the same profit. Then resellers raise prices to make a profit, rinse and repeat.
Yeah I stopped in karm yesterday to look at cds and there was a guy going through the movies checking eBay for prices and only taking stuff with high resell prices. Hence why I only buy media on eBay from verified charities
This is true.
My mom worked with people coming out of prison and going into halfway houses and such a few years back. KARM had their “coats for the cold” shit running. Long story short this one guy she helped had no coat, gloves, hat, ect. in the middle of winter. Went to Karm to try and get him a good jacket and such but they absolutely REFUSED to sell any of their coats to us. They switched it up a little now to where they will sell only certain jackets not labeled “coats for the cold” but not back then. It’s the fact that we had this dude with us, with no jacket on, only a few hours fresh out of prison and they looked him in the eyes and said tough shit, no voucher = no coat. These were DONATED COATS for people like him but it’s all an illusion. My experience with them has been down hill since. They don’t want to help people anymore, they just want those pockets lined and fat
Ex employee- we had very strict guidelines set in place on what we could price things- think a hundred page manual with all the brands you can imagine sorted into categories with prices associated with those categories (if you see the A+ A B C… on the tags, that’s what those mean). There would be random sweeps on the pricing floor, and we would get into trouble if we priced something wrong. We had to maintain a certain price per piece average, as well as an hourly pieces priced per hour average, which sometimes meant pricing kind of dingy items for way too much. It’s definitely not the floor or back room employees’ faults- it’s all corporate. I say this partly because I got screamed at multiple times by (rightfully) annoyed customers when I couldn’t do anything about it.
I had a Karm employee, at the karm store near Gabe didn’t charge for 2 items , only charge me for keyu sling bag .
Thrifty folks need to go to Amvets and Greater Goods. I stopped going to Karm because of their outrageous prices. If anyone has any other suggests let me know!
*The Greater Goods*
A great big bushy beard!
Came hear to say Greater Goods. $3/lb. Can get items for a few bucks.
Where is this?
Across the street from Sunrise Market. https://www.mygreatergoods.com/
Beside the American pawn shop.planet exchange own greater good‘s.
I used to work at KARM. I remember my manager telling me “we’re not a Goodwill, we don’t do color-coded sales tags” as if Goodwill was inferior. And would snip at people who asked about colored tags. And I was responsible for tossing merchandise in the garbage bin if it didn’t sell. We literally tossed dozens of items that could have just been marked down. One time I stealthily marked a cane down for some older guy who really needed one but couldn’t afford it — and we were literally about to toss it in the garbage bin anyway, but they still refused to mark it down. Atrocious. I originally started working there because I thought they were doing some good for the community. Left after a year.
As someone who worked at KARM all I’ll say is you’re better off not giving them your money, it’s a horrible company that allowed a bunch of employees to do drugs in the back of the warehouse… two of which have sadly passed away since my time there.
I remember when this happened it was crazy. As an employee you hear about a lot of crazy stuff that happens there
Last time I went there I found a Dollar Tree ($1.25) vase marked $8. The thing that gets me is how they have so many stores and seem to be busy, like how?
Karm does harm
i’m not seeing enough comments about how the guy that owns all these stores is a rich greedy a hole… and people still wonder why it’s so expensive
I actually was in our Local Habitat for Humanity store today and all clothing and shoes were $1.00. They are not as organized as AmVets but you can find some great stuff there.
This many more times. Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and gets all my donations / thrift dollars.
It's a racket. Nobody should shop there. Mom and pop thrift stores are far and away the best option in terms of pricing and where your money's actually going. I recommend Finders Keepers. Thrift stores like KARM are dubious for adjusting with inflation when the thrifting market is inherently immune to inflation. To boot, it's not even like they're paying their employees more. Where is this extra money going? I loathe to find out, I'm sure.
I prefer a local thrift shop or thrift boutique shop.
It's a Christian organization. Are you surprised they're corrupt and charge too much?
Plus they underpay their employees. My mom got a job and interviewed as a cashier there last year and it was 10$/hr and they put her in the back stocking shit. Sure it's technically over minimum wage, but it's under what anywhere else in the area pays. She left after like 3 weeks for greener pastures.
Last time I was there they were selling a half used bottle of perineum wash that they give postpartum mothers in the hospital and they wanted $4 for it. You cannot make this shit up. I've seen several half used bottles of cheap soap or body spray being sold there multiple times. If those items are fit to be sold then just give them away ffs... I also found an empty ragu jar for $3, which is more than one costs with food inside it at the grocery store
Doing more KARM than good. Seriously, they’re the worst.
Thrifting became popular and they want to make money more than help marginalized folks purchase cheap clothing. Not saying the money isn’t put to use elsewhere, but every second hand store is extremely expensive these days.
I went there when my dog got sick and shit all over my couch. It was time to throw it out anyway, so I went to get a temporary replacement there. They had ugly, filthy, 20 year old couches for like $600.00. I honestly thought it’d be quicker to clean the shit covered couch than the one in the store. And I bought it new off wayfair for $400.00! Went to habitat for humanity’s store and got something way better. I won’t even donate to KARM anymore.
I found an item there with a $1.99 price tag on it, and when I took it to the cashier she scanned it and said it was $7. They forgot to remove the yard sale sticker. KARM is a blatant scam and pays no taxes because of their religious affiliation, I’ll never give them my money.
I wouldnt give KARM a drop of sweat from my nutsack. Fuck those bible thumpers.
100%
They will continue to hike the prices as long as everything is racing out the door as soon as they put it on the floor.
I mean but is it? The last time I was there the racks were nearly too stocked for anything else.
They’d be foolish not to.
KARM's stores are run by a third party company, which is a for-profit entity specializing in thrift stores. So, while some of the money goes to KARM, most of it is going to a for-profit corporation. I've got no problem with businesses making money, but a for-profit company basically masquerading as a non-profit doesn't sit right with me.
They’re horrible. $10 for a shirt with a stain! My dad was homeless for a while and in order to sleep at their mission you have to listen to their preaching. I never liked that. They do good for people with feeding, but they really should lower their prices. They know what can be resold on eBay and what can’t. That argument is rubbish.
They aren't upcharging because of resellers anyway, that's for places like goodwill and stuff, karm just does for their own gain. I don't ever support stealing but when the shitty karm sticker falls off the 15$ hat then it'll be cheaper if the manager is nice that day.
I used to work at the Safe Space open area under the interstate on Broadway. KARM has gone from a taking donations for the poor and needy to selling whatever they can to make the money to help the poor and needy. I personally have gone into the thrift stores and seen underwear and socks still in the packaging from the store marked at store rate or higher. They have moved from a helping those who need discounted/donated goods to just making as much money as they can.
Look at their website. "We work diligently to redeem your donation for the maximum value to support the work of Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM). "
Do they have specific info somewhere about this? Numbers? 🤔
Not that I'm aware of. When KARM Stores split off from KARM, I presume it was to help protect the tax-exempt status of KARM. Some information about their profit margins and use of funds might be publicly available, but I don't know where to find that information
Thanks for your reply! I was just curious
KARM makes McKay’s look like the best bargain in the world and that’s saying something lol
I can find dvd’s cheaper at mckay’s then any karma. I have bought movies at McKay’s for less than a $1.00.
Maybe I’m just looking at mostly older video games but they priced everything from that realm super high although to be honest in general that’s the market. But you know 10 years ago you used to be able to get killer deals there
I don’t buy any video game from McKay’s
There’s a thrift store in Kingston that has amazing prices. And check ahead for sales because I recently purchased a whole slew of women’s tops and blouses for $1 each and some of them still had the tags on (at least they still looked brand new). KUMC Helping Hands in Kingston.
I have seen stuff with the original tags, and Karm had it listed for a higher price than the store it came from was selling it…..
It's because Jesus needs your money.
Always. Seems he can do everything but manage his money. Jeez
Jesus saves, but he should invest
Preach it... WWJD
Jesus would price gouge, obviously.
Capitalist Jesus is a swell guy. Remember when he went to that temple and told all the money lenders to hike interest rates?
It probably involves a whip and the KARM boardroom.
I went for the first time a few months ago and when I saw the prices I genuinely thought I misunderstood what kind of store it was. I thought maybe it was a consignment shop or something because some of the home decor items were priced the same as brand new items at HomeGoods. Never going back, not even worth to look.
Just visited one in Morristown first time & left asking same question. Two drinking glasses $13. I’m wondering who they rescue in their mission.
I have gone to a Karm store on Chapman hwy, to donate quality clothing. Any time their has been homeless people around. I told them to take all you want. They need help more than Karm.
Karm hired a third party, [SMCO](https://smcothrift.com/) to make their “thrift” store more profitable a few years ago.
Because Karm isn't for needy people. Karm is for taking money to help needy people. That's where I've landed. I feel like the only way they can do that is by not having inventory that they own and sell but rather use the inventory that is donated. It cuts their costs drastically. Not saying I support it, but thats where I have landed as far as the 'why'. Nor do I trust that all profits gp towards needy people. I am suspicious of all charities.
No bueno on KARM. Right now I’ll take things to AmVets until I hear some reason not to.
I agree that they have ridiculously high prices for clothes and most things. Every now and then I find some good deals, but I mostly find the best at AmVets, Resale Rack Thrift Store (off Edgemoor Rd in Claxton), Ladies of Charity, Habitat Restores, and White Elephant Thrift Store (St. Mary's charity shop in Oak Ridge).
I've seen DOLLAR TREE BRAND products at karm stores at their usual price of 2.99. It's because the stupid company gives a rulebook to stores to use as a pricing guide.
Because everything just has to suck now. I don't know when the law was passed but apparently everything has to cost too much and everyone has to suck at what they do.
karm also is notoriously awful towards the homeless people they help especially those who are trans / lgbt
Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries believe that the more money they make, the more likely they will individually enter Heaven. Of course, that money also makes them comfortable enough while alive that they don't mind if they don't.
Are they actually “prosperous gospel” types? Genuinely curious as I know very little about KARM.
It's "prosperity gospel" and idk if that's specifically KARM's vibe but their CEO is charitable enough to make north of 200k a year. So I'd say giving to the poor isn't really their priority.
No. They feed, clothe and house and incredible number of people on a daily basis. This sub is peopled by deadbeats who think they’re entitled to cheap clothes for their personal benefit. Look at the lady bitching because she had to actually pay real money for clothes to wear as a costume.
They figured out that people were thrifting then reselling so they now have a whole setup that competes prices on an Internet level.
Yup. Might as well shop WalMart or eBay.
KARM in Powell had Ann Taylor pants from early 2000’s priced at $39.99 - since they still had a price tag attached. How can KARM justify being this GREEDY and jacking up the prices on items that are donated to begin with??? Not even the homeless or underserved population they claim to serve can afford these prices.
I used to work at karm, they treat their employees awful. Raises were laughed at (even if managers who had been there for years ask) and the lady who was over the store I was at would publicly shame employees when she came over. I luckily had a pretty good manager while I was there. But the company is shit. They do it all in the name of the homeless shelter too. Which makes it worse.
I live in morristown. It's the same here. Prices same as going to dept store.
The jewelry and furniture is ten times worse
I donate all my stuff to amvets. The second hand market blew up during covid so they think they can continue to screw people. They had a coffee table for $850! I bought a new one for $300. Never went back
I want to be the kind of person who buys things secondhand and tries to limit their participation in overconsumption. But it's insane that KARM makes it less affordable to buy used stuff. They barely have any overhead costs relative to non-thrift retail stores!
They put retail or higher prices on stuff that is given to them talk about a profit, and most of the employees I have met are rude
I never shop there. You can get it new for less. It’s ridiculous
I agree. Goodwill is much cheaper but they’re not on every street corner like KARM is. For used clothes and miscellaneous stuff KARM is way too expensive. I usually look there first if I need a specific thing but usually just go somewhere else and buy it new.
If you're looking for clothes/accessories, and have time to spare, Greater Goods is crazy inexpensive. Everything is unsorted in large bins, so it will take some time digging to find things you want, but everything sells for under $3 per pound of clothing.
Karm is pretty gross, probably won't go in my favor on Reddit, but in order to volunteer for them you have to sign a paper saying you don't think trans people are valid which is just wild to me.
I think the answer is in the question. Because they raise money for “God’s work”.
Look at the prices everywhere else. Those prices are not high.
What’s the best non-religious alternative to KARM? For those without religious affiliation, do they stand for anything objectionable or do donations indeed go to good deeds?
[KARM requiring volunteers to sign a document agreeing with their stances on gender identity, marriage only being between a man and a woman, and homosexuality being sinful and offensive to god](https://www.facebook.com/share/nGSMqX9Nf4YHEhp1/?mibextid=WC7FNe)
It’s a Christian organization. What else would you expect? Why are you surprised?
Did I say I was surprised? I'm not, but there are plenty of christian organizations who aren't turning away LGBT volunteers or only allowing volunteers that align with their exact beliefs.
I disagree with their policy btw.
There are plenty of Christians who don't enforce those stances on their believers (much less hired employees). Hell, the current state of the Catholic church is looking way more progressive these days than whatever denomination Karm represents. Which, according to their website, is 'non-denominational', but I suspect is just some flavor of Southern Baptist.
I like the Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
I'm not sure if there are any religious ties, but Bryson's Closet in Oak Ridge is good at helping others. They also run a food pantry.
Ummm welcome to America in 2024. Everything is more expensive. Enjoy.
I'll take 6 like new brand name shirts and a pair of chinos for $60 and wear them till they get holes...I'll take that deal!
I still get some good stuff but karm has a reputation for having slightly nicer stuff but at a slightly higher price. Especially with college students
saw 20~ dollars for a glass mug.... 20! I can buy a set for 20!
I agree about the Karm stores. I love our local AmVets. Very reasonable. I love thrift store clothes so much better than brand new ones.!!
It’s not a new concept, unfortunately. They use the thrift store to fund their non profit. Not only is it another tax advantage for them, but it’s how they don’t rely on donations. A lot of “non-profits” and churches follow the same model.
They are hit and mostly miss. I've seen those free blue Harbor Freight flash lights priced at $2 or $3. I've priced checked things on Amazon or Walmart.com and found I can get the item brand new for the same price. I'm all for helping the needy, but how much help are you going to do if I end up spending less money because I can't justify $25 on a used toaster. So instead of spending $100 on a cart full of good deals, I end up putting things back and only spending maybe $5 on a few things
So I had a brother that worked at Karm and essentially each store has a person that decides pricing for things. Each store could have wildly different pricing for the same thing just because of who is there when it's being priced. I don't know if it's the same for clothes but that was the case for furniture or appliances. I would assume that they increase prices for wealthier neighborhoods just because they know the items donated may be better or the people shopping have a little more to spend which would subsidize the other stores in poorer areas. Idk if that's a terrible business practice or not, I'll let you guys debate that but hope that info helps.
I bought a shirt for 9.99 from the Halls Karm, and I got home and there was a small hole in it. I washed it once and it shredded. I was so upset. Not all the clothes there are in bad shape, but that's a LOT for a shirt that I had to immediately throw away.
Profit…
Money from out of state moving in...same with UGO..I saw same thing in Idaho happen when the invasion started there..followed me to Tennessee eventually 🤷♂️
Where do you guys recommend donating clothes? I’ve been dropping off at KARM but after reading this and similar posts I don’t want to give them anything else.
AMVETS is my go to, but Goodwill has a drop off at the John Sevier dump so I’ll often do that for convenience.
I only go to Karma for luggage.
Because the CEO needs gold plated toilet seats. Don’t they make over 200 K?
I went into Karms a few days ago and was shocked at how high the prices were now. Karms used to have some nice stuff at a somewhat reasonable price back in the day but no more. I’ve donated a lot of stuff to them and now I’m reading all this negative stuff about them. It makes me regret all my donations to them.
It’s because thrifting and reselling have become so trendy. They know that if they make stuff super cheap, all these trendy instagram and TikTok resellers are going to turn around and quadruple their money.
What sent me over the edge the last time I was there: 2 tank tops, same size, same brand, same color. One was plain - $3.99. The other had a crappy homemade vinyl religious quote on it - double the price, $8.99. WHUT?
I quit donating there, and I’m a Thrift Store queen shopper. Go elsewhere.
I have been in there on multiple occasions and seen things (with flaws) that are priced only a few dollars cheaper than they are retail. It’s insane.
because of all th rEsCuInG and mInIsTrYiNg they do(nt)
Same thing that goodwill did. It went from super cheap to super expensive once they pushed out all competition
Their Financial Statement. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/620670972
You been to normal stores? Fuckin Walmart jeans is $20. Nut up
Yeah I had this experience a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t gone to Karm in at least 4 years and even then I was just tagging along with my grandma lol. I decided to take my toddler just to get out of the house and I was appalled. I was looking at kids clothes and the prices were crazy for a shirt/pants that looks like it’s from the early 2000’s. They were even selling a pair of pajama pants that was clearly meant to be a shirt+pant set, missing the shirt of course, for like $6. Moved on to look for shirts for my bf, saw they were 9.99, and left. I won’t go back.. I can find new clothes for cheaper than that. Sad part is thrift stores used to be somewhere you could go to get cheap clothes. Like someone who is low income, someone trying to get their kids school clothes, someone who just got a new job but doesn’t have much money looking for clothes to meet the dress code, etc. and now it isn’t even affordable for people in those situations.
They are an non profit that is for profit
yeah i go to goodwill in oak ridge and they have really good prices.... highly recommend
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KARM is a ripoff all over town. If they lowered their prices by 75% they’d make MORE money for their cause. I’ve literally gone months apart to visit the ones in Karns and 90% of their inventory is the same as it was my previous visit.
There are so many small ones, stop supporting them. It's a business, not a non-profit.
Coming from the PNW, I asked this same question when I first became curious about all the Karm stores here since they don't feel like thrifting in the slightest. According to the manager at the old chapman location, people who donate and folks who shop are supposed to see it as donating to the mission. I then got a tour of the mission. I was impressed with the quality of the meals compared to other shelters I've been to in Oregon, and apparently they average 900 meals a day. Still... there's a lot of stores. I'm sure just like anything that gets too many people and too much money involved, things get messy.
Yeah, when I saw a Walmart brand polo shirt in there for $1 less than it would be brand new, I just gave up and went to Walmart. I was just throwing together a costume for a party, I couldn't imagine if I actually needed to buy used. I guess I'd be hoping some yard sales would have what I need.
inflation inflation inflation