CARITAS kleider netto: "cheap" CARITAS

*PLEASE NOTE: The two CARITAS clothing shops on Birmensdorferstrasse have swapped locations as of 1 Jan 2016... for the better! NETTO is now at #52, and 'expensive' CARITAS is here at 38*
please see the "North-South Brocki Tour" post from January 2016 for more information, or check out the CARITAS Secondhand website (link in article below) 

"cheap" CARITAS consistently offers the best deals on second-hand clothing in the entirety of greater Zürich.

Birmensdorferstrasse 38

There's always a line-up at opening, and I use "line-up" loosely - more like a greedy pushing match!

I am almost loathe to praise it so openly and publicly - while it's obvious that many people in the city know of its virtues and return to it on a regular basis already, I'm not sure I want more competition! But sharing is caring, so I'll share what I know for your benefit. :)

If you are in the market for some new-to-you clothing, then head to the Wiedikon Bahnhof or Werd tram stop in Aussersihl, on the border of Kreis 3 and 4.

Birmensdorferstrasse is the first (and perhaps, the only) street you need to know. Because here are the two best shops: CARITAS kleider netto (what I call "cheap" CARITAS) and CARITAS kleider (what I call "expensive" CARITAS). More on "expensive" CARITAS in the next post - these two stores kind of go hand-in-hand, practically speaking.

Google Maps. Red marker is on 'expensive' CARITAS, which is where you want to go after 'cheap' CARITAS!

CARITAS "kleider netto" is where the lesser clothing donated to the local CARITAS goes. And that's not to say that there aren't worthwhile garments here! The fancier stuff appears to be shuttled to 'expensive' CARITAS a few doors down Birmensdorferstrasse, and all the 'basics' (t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters, but also dresses, pants, jeans, blouses, jackets, skirts, blazers, shoes and accessories) are kept here and sold for far less.

Not a pleasant or relaxing atmosphere at opening, but that's how it goes!

Judging by what I've seen at both stores, the staff are pretty good at sorting the clothes appropriately - you are very unlikely to find an expensive, top-quality or designer garment hiding at the 'cheap' CARITAS.

But the difficulty in sorting would undoubtedly not happen at the extremes (i.e. the really posh or the really grubby ends of the spectrum), but right in the middle. Which is where I prefer to shop, anyway.

For this reason, the 'medium' quality items are rather like swing votes in an election - they can go either way, and it's hard to guess which. Sometimes, higher-quality garments remain at 'cheap' CARITAS, and sometimes I find lower-end, less-desirable garments at 'expensive' CARITAS (which are therefore overpriced).

Some poor kid had to go along to the mayhem of opening! :S

If you go to 'cheap' CARITAS at opening (10:00, Dienstag - Samstag, that is Tuesday to Saturday), there is a chance that you can score a garment of medium to medium-high quality for very, very cheap. I've done it. I've had to fight to keep the garment I claimed by a pushy fellow thrifter, but I have done it. And it feels fantastic!

I went over my 'tricks of the trade' for 'cheap' CARITAS already here in this previous post. I'll rehash them, but I may miss something (so check the older post if you want to be sure you've got all the dirt on this place!).

I went today (27 May 2014) at opening. There were at least 10 people there, waiting for the store to open, and probably 25 different people who came and went in the first 1/2 hour. One lady went straight for the shoes (a good strategy!), but most pounced on the dresses rack. 
 

I counted 10 people there in line, myself included. But more than that came through the doors in the first 5 minutes of opening! :O Tuesday, 27 May 2014.

I came up utterly empty-handed today. It was not a very fun experience, having to get jostled, and everything seemed... I don't know, like there was less good stuff than there usually is!

Yeah, that's someone's butt and back in the photo. That's how crowded it was! Circa 10:10AM, Tuesday, 27 May 2014.

 So that was a Tuesday morning - I was banking on all the good weekend donations being ripe for the picking, but now I wonder if the staff had even had the chance to restock that morning. I've certainly had better luck on the Thursday I went. :) Scored big time at 'expensive' CARITAS, though, so I was still a happy thrifter!

Here are the Pros, Cons, and Strategies for 'cheap' CARITAS:

PROS:

• THE consistently cheapest place to buy secondhand clothing in Zürich
• Clean, bright store with nice staff (with that one exception - the young man)
• Has a 1 Fr. rack for cotton t-shirts and tank tops (mainly)
• Good selection of belts and accessories for very cheap 
• Shoes and boots cost only 3 Fr., and occasionally they're worth trying on 
• Has a change room
• Takes cards as well as cash 
• Prices clearly stated on mirror behind and above cashier 
• I don't think I've ever not found something here to take home (only once have I gone home empty-handed from here, a Tuesday at opening).
• Men's and Women's sections
• High turnover of garments (lots of new stuff every time I go)
• All seasons are represented in clothing (at least in the women's stuff), so it's possible to shop ahead for the next season
• Restocking seems to happen continually, with staff constantly tidying and updating - staff take pride in presentation of the store
• City water fountain just outside the entrance for a quick & free rehydration between CARITAS's!

CONS:

• Closes for lunch between 13:00 and 14:00 
• Only one change room, with limited privacy (curtain gapes - I recommend letting it gape on the women's clothing side to prevent peeking from the male customers, which sadly happens...) 
• Competition is rigorous at opening (I don't like the competitive atmosphere)
• Dresses cost 10 Fr., which in some cases can be a bit steep for the quality of the garments (consider it carefully, check 'expensive' CARITAS for dresses)
• Bags and purses are pretty grim 
• 3 item limit in change room
• No shopping baskets
• No chair for trying on shoes
• Few mirrors and small floor space; main 'corridor' often woefully crowded
• Line-ups happen prior to opening, and there are some pushy cows that will greedily budge ahead! Expect bullshit! :)
• Miserable employee (the young man, "Thomas", I think), but sometimes he's alright. Won't talk to me or look me in the eye, shouted at me once for trying to close the door after holding it for an old lady, took 1 Fr. rack inside while I was looking through it without explanation or greeting or acknowledgment of my existence (I then followed it inside, confused, and got told off for coming in at 12:45 when they closed at 13:00, though it was my first time and I didn't know!), and was really rude to another customer who couldn't speak German but was trying their best (update: he was positively giggly and sweet the day of posting, so maybe he's improved!)

STRATEGIES:

• Grab what appeals to you and protect your stash! Eliminate unwanted items later during the morning rush
• Try clothes on over-top of your 'thrifting uniform' (see Thrifting Tips) by mirror next to front door. There is a display hook here that you can hang your potential purchases from, and (correct to May 2014) the coat-hook that holds the bags and purses is also nearby and can accommodate temporary hangers
• Men's pants are to the left of the cash desk, and first thing in the morning this zone is generally deserted - a good 'base-camp' for trying on items if the mirror area by the door and the change room are full up
• Check the 1 Fr. rack for 'basics' in good condition (i.e. plain black t's, white tank tops, etc.). 1 Fr. for an everyday basic that will go with your pre-existing wardrobe is a great buy (the 1 Fr. rack is usually, but not always, outside of the store. Today at 10:00 there wasn't one at all).
• Keep an eye out for 'unwanted' items that didn't work out in the change room - there's no 'reject' rack, and sometimes people just hang their rejects on the edge of the women's shirt racks, leave them behind in the change room, or cluster them together on the end of the dresses rack, etc. Some people are nice and refile their clothes, so take a second glance through the racks if you weren't the first one in the change room
• If you want it, buy it - chances are it won't be there tomorrow (I've left things that didn't fit me and was pleasantly surprised to see all of them gone on my next visit. Lots of turnover, but also lots of competition)
• Bring a reusable bag or shopping basket to stash your potential purchases in while you shop (just don't stress out the staff: make it clear you're not planning on stealing the items!) 
• Make sure you check out what is in the display case (below cash desk) and on the wall displays in the store. Window displays don't always have clothing in them, but check quickly just in case 
• Check the free-standing 3-tiered white wire basket thing for assorted odds-and-ends before you check out. Most stuff in here is fairly random and out of context (throw cushion pillowcases, balls of yarn) that would be better suited to the CARITAS kunst & krempel across the street (what I call 'homewares' CARITAS). Occasionally there is something of interest here 

There is one other thing I feel I must note here, and that is why this CARITAS is better than the one in Hardbrücke, for example (I really like CARITAS Hardbrücke!).

While I can't say for sure, I suspect that the donated clothing at each of the CARITAS is not centralized. There's a donation chute in 'cheap' CARITAS (by the fountain and parking area), and I think donations here are split between the 'expensive' and 'cheap' CARITAS on Birmensdorferstrasse. I'm pretty sure I've confirmed this fact today - I saw a notice on the side of 'expensive' CARITAS directing donations to 'cheap' CARITAS! Kleidereinwurf 2 Häuser weiter. I knew it!

Oerlikon and Hardbrücke CARITAS seem to have the full range of clothing: from cheap and cheaply made to high quality, upper-end garments. The trouble is that the prices at Oerlikon and Hardbrücke are higher than at 'cheap' CARITAS for the same calibre of clothing.

While an expensive garment will be roughly the same price at Oerlikon (my least favourite), Hardbrücke (one of my favourites), and 'expensive' CARITAS, a cheap garment will only be worth its money at 'cheap' CARITAS, if you see what I mean.

(Why is this so hard to explain in writing?!). :)

Here's an example: I found a cheaply made, disposable-fashion gold lamé t-shirt at Oerlikon CARITAS. I really liked it - it fit, it was a great colour, and I thought it would make a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

I expected the price tag to be around 5 Fr., because honestly it wasn't worth much more than that (and possibly less - 4 Fr. would have made me happy). But the price tag was 12 Fr., TWELVE!  

In comparison, I bought a very high-quality stripey shirt (pictured in this post) from 'expensive' CARITAS for 10 Fr. (which I thought was expensive at the time). 

I suspect that the managers of each CARITAS outlet are responsible for their pricing, and that pricing is inconsistent across the CARITAS stores.

Hardbrücke isn't cheap, and sometimes I cringe a little at the prices for the cheaper stuff in comparison to 'cheap' CARITAS. But it's not far off. Oerlikon CARITAS is expensive across the board, and I don't like it for a few other reasons (I'll post on it specifically at some point, though when I'll be back is questionable!).

Waiting for opening... most people not so patiently!

So for the very cheap, everyday sort of garments, there is really no comparison: shop at 'cheap' CARITAS! And follow it up with a trip through 'expensive' CARITAS, just to make sure there's not another fabulous deal at a slightly higher price point!