‘Twin transformations’: The Salvation Army’s charity shops and the recreating of material and social value

Abstract

This article uses an empirically grounded historical case study of The Salvation Army’s charity shops in Melbourne, Australia to review recent debates around the position and function of ‘cultural intermediaries’ beyond its traditional meaning and application to aesthetic sectors within cultural industries. Drawing on archival research, cultural observation and interviews with staff members, the article focuses on the stores’ specific cultural identity engendered by the organization’s history of remaking the value of discarded objects, alongside its development of individual human agency and context-based community links. Secondhand ‘Salvos Stores’ form a network of hybrid commercial and social enterprises that serves as a basis for developing a wider conceptualization of the notion ‘cultural intermediary’. Following Cronin, Howells and McFall, we argue for an understanding which emphasizes their embedded, contextually reliant qualities, informed by the discourses, practices and networks of sociality.

Evaluating the Sourcing Challenges Faced by Humanitarian Charities

“…Because of the increased competition, charities are finding it extremely difficult to obtain supplies; thus, they are looking for alternative options. Some charities, for example, may acquire stock from commercial retailers, circulate stock between charity shops, display donation banks, and distribute donation bags [11,12,20,22,46]. However, collection methods are still disorganized [47].…”

Selling Out? A Cross-National Exploration of Nonprofit Retail Operations

“…The literature is primarily concerned with nonprofit retail as a cultural phenomenon (e.g., Podkalicka & Meese, 2012), an alternate consumption practice (e.g., Gregson, Crewe, & Brooks, 2002; Williams, 2002), an outlet for disposing of items with emotional meaning (Lovatt, 2015), or a source of volunteerism and employment (Harrison-Evans, 2016; Jones & Reynolds, 2019; Parsons & Broadbridge, 2006). This article responds to two gaps in the existing literature on nonprofit retail.…”

“…Geographically, much existing work is focused on the use of nonprofit retail in the United Kingdom. As well, single or small- n case studies pervade as a methodological approach (e.g., Li, 2017; Podkalicka & Meese, 2012). The author was unable to find any studies comparing the cross-national use of nonprofit retail.…”

Towards a general theory of thrift

“…New markets have developed as the meaning and practical significance of thrift shifts in advanced economies. The ‘coolness’ of thrift has seen traditional charity second-hand stores reinvent themselves as professional boutique-style retailing (Podkalicka and Meese, 2012), while the publishing sector continues to cater for the demands for self-education in financial literacy (O’Regan, 2007) and aesthetic tastes (e.g. the DIY craft magazine Frankie ).…”