A charity shop has left customers fuming after it was found that it was selling empty marmalade jars for more than the price of new ones that have actual marmalade inside.
The Bonne Maman second-hand item was spotted by eagle-eyed shopper Laura McInerney in a British Heart Foundation store in Newham, London.
It was priced at £2.50.
In comparison, an unopened jar currently retails for £2.20 from Ocado, discounted from £3.50.
High street supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco sell theirs at a slightly higher price, at £3.30 – but then again, they also contain the actual marmalade.
In addition to the jar, 41-year-old Laura from West Ham also found a Barclays-branded notebook for £4 that she claims is given away for “free” at corporate events.
Taking to X to share her find, Laura’s tweet has racked up 14,000 likes and over 500 retweets so far.
“I understand charities face big costs at the moment, so it makes sense they want to maximise income from their shops,” Laura, co-founder of Teacher Tapp, told Need To Know.
“But I worry people won’t keep going if there’s no bargains to be had anymore.
“Especially when so many people who live locally don’t have a lot of spare cash because rent and food prices have gone through the roof.”
Laura’s tweet was captioned: “Charity shops have gone weirdly expensive. £2.50 for an empty Bonne Mamman jar?!? […]”
She also shared images of the other items including the notebook and a Disney photo album from 2011 being sold at £6.
Laura added: “My mind is blown.”
Fellow bargain hunters have flocked to the comment section to share their reactions, with many flagging the same issue in other charity shops.
Penny said: “Just done a round at charity shops near me. Madness, the prices are more expensive than buying new […]”
“You can buy it new with jam included at that price,” Fiona added.
Julie said: “I’ve noticed this too. I’ve seen them charging more than you can buy the things new in stores lol.”
“Why would someone want to buy an empty jam jar, even if it’s a Bonne Maman? I put them in glass recycle here in France,” Jaine commented.
Jeremy added: “I’m rich! I’ve got thousands!”
The British Heart Foundation replied to Laura on Twitter.
“Hi Laura, thank you for bringing this to our attention,” the charity said.
“It looks like we have made a mistake here and we will rectify asap.
“Our shop team are looking into this as we speak.
“Thank you for the feedback.”
Jam Press has contacted the British Heart Foundation for comment.
