Question about JoAnn's
 

This morning I was parked in the lot across the street from the back of JoAnn's and I saw a JA employee dumping items into a large trash bin. She was tearing the end off small rolls, then unrolling the item (appeared to be ribbon) from the roll and throwing the whole thing into the bin. I know there are some members of this board who have been/are employed by JA and I was wondering if they or anyone else might know why perfectly good items would be thrown away as opposed to donating to schools, senior center, etc. I am not trying to cause trouble for JA, just wondering what might be going on....thanks.

A lot of stores do this, returns to Walmart get thrown in a trash bin out back even if nothing was wrong, My GF's DSIL worked for a landfill and said you would be amazed what they throw in there, My DDIL worked at hobby Lobby and said it made her sick at the things they had to put down the chute.

So....if someone was waiting by the dumpster, could they be a pre-dumpster picker-upper?

They are not allowed to do that but a dumpster diving expedition may happen later!! LOL

I used to peek in the dumpster at work all the time, Not retail, and once found a whole roll of upholstery fabric that I covered a window seat, Rocker and foot stool with, I also found a cool picket fence one time.

I don't understand the reasoning behind having to throw away these items. Why can't they be donated to some place that could use them? Is this corporate policy or what? If this is corporate policy, maybe we can/should contact the corporate offices to complain about the waste. I can understand dumping food products that are out-of-date, but ribbons, etc.?

Another thing that is tossed are books, and magazines, we had to send in the covers to them for credit and Patterns had to be taken out of the envelope, the envelopes were sent in for the credit, that was a long time ago but I think the same applies now.

Just be careful.. Some places dumpster diving is considered 'stealing' ..... I know- crazy !!!

I worked for a local health agency, The things in the dumpster were thing no one longer wanted or needed, I would not really go dumpster diving especially at a retail store, that would be stealing as they are given credit for those things so they have to be tossed as sad as it is.

I was just at JoAnns this morning, I never thought of checking the dumpsters. You would think that the stores would at least just put the items on sale...50 60 heck even 90 percent off to sell it and they would at least get a little bit of their money back. Seems like a big waste to me.

When I worked at Home Depot, instead of sending things back to a manufacturer, we would have to put it in the compactor. It was required by the manufacturer and the employees could not take it. It's call a "field destroy"...

I think they get more back when they send in the required proof that it did not sell than if they sold it for pennies, Sad but true.

I once had a conversation with a Joann's regional manager about this. I asked why they couldn't give things they couldn't sell to charity. He said that would cause jealousy among charities, because one charity would find out that the other had gotten things. Certainly he could have thought of something more believable than that!

Dayle

At my Jo'Anns even the smallest pieces get the sissor shred before they go to the dumpster. I saw one of the girls doing this one day , and she said it was their policy. When asked about just donating she repied "oh no , all donations have to have Corperate approval". So no mattter what they take sissors and cut up into small pieces before putting in the dumpster. Such a shame ! As so much of what gets tossed could find use !

sadly this is the norm now....even at Hancocks....after it hits a certain % off if it does not sell, into the dumpster it goes! So sad...BUT they are a business and that means they need to make MONEY..not give their stuff away!

It still does...I was watching it happen at a Joann's last year. I even made the comment about what a waste. Broken items get written off and dumped in the trash...I don't know about ribbons and such.

I remember stores selling books for very low prices without the covers. I think they cannot donate things and get money back from the supplier so they destroy the things rather than donate--more profitable. It's all in the name of profit.
Sue

Many stores' policy here is after something is marked down 80-90% it is given to GW. I regularly see new clothing and craft items in bins there. As far as something that is broken, the store doesn't want the liability in case of injury. The stores may also have to follow the manufacturers' guidelines as far as disposal, too. As far as something looking perfectly good, it really may not be. Suppose those ribbons were a return item form a heavy smokers home. would you really want the store to try to sell them or donate them? After trying to get smoke out of fabric myself, i would pitch rather than deal with it

Our Goodwill gets things from Target. You can still see the Target marks on them.

Because, unfortunately, people will try to return the items to the store. I've worked in retail and if an item can't be put back on the floor it has to be destroyed because people will return it saying it was damaged and want money back for it. Sad, but true.

yep, it's true ;-(

One of the retail stores throw good things in the dumpster all the time. One time I was driving past the dumpster and saw a small Christmas tree sticking out. I went into the store and asked to speak to the manager; I asked if it was ok to take something out of the dumpster. She said "Help yourself". I got a tree for my porch and several other Chistmas items.

I am surprised to learn that WalMart does not return goods to the shelves, but destroys them. Just don't understand why they can't give them away, but I suppose that they have their reasons. I can tell you something that Walmart's deli employees do repeatedly. On several occasions when I was having cold cuts sliced, the person will cut one slice and ask you if its ok. I usually say yes, but sometimes I will ask that they cut it a little thinner. Then they will attempt to discard that slice that is too thick and I will tell them to just leave it in, but no, they will throw it away. Other times they will cut too much, more than you asked for, and I will tell them to leave it in. Sometimes they will leave in on the scale and sometimes they will not, they take it off. I know that they probably throw that away too. It makes me sick as I hate waste and think of how many people who are starving in this world. I suppose that may be Walmart's policy because when you think about it, who would want something sliced already.

they do put it on sale for 70 off what doesn't sale goes in the dumpster when it scans past discard I cant watch them do it it makes me sick

Yes !! Dumpster diving is legal, once it's in the trash it is anyone's treasure. JA's has already written it off. JA's writes thing off that are out of date or maybe mislabeled or damaged. I call it curb-side storage. Good luck.

They probably toss the items so they can take a "loss" on their taxes. If they donated the items it might not be as favorable to them come tax time. All you accountants out there - let see if this is the reason.

Yes quilter1943...my retail store had this problem a few years ago. We donated a bunch of lotions and lo and behold, a lady tried to return about 10 bottles for different stuff! We had marked the bottoms, and she had even tried to erase some of the marks...and then she got huffy when we wouldn't do the exchange!

Another thing with selling at 90 % off...2 part...if customers learn to depend on this markdown...they only will buy the markdown stuff...and not buy anything else (YES this happens). If customers learn we donate stuff to a certain restore....they don't come to our location....they go to the restore.

I used to get so mad when the local Joanns wouldn't donate to the local school PTOs, until the manager reminded me that there were 21 grade schools in the area.....

Add Michael's to the list.

They should mark these things way down, like 80 to 90 % off and give us the opportunity to get a really good bargain.

A target here donates to salvation army.

Target has a different policy than other retail stores. Maybe if we contacted the higher ups at corporate we could change the policy that stores have. It is such a waste, especially when there are so many people who don't make very much money at all.

The things you see being 'thrown out' are written off and the store/company gets full credit for them.. if they donate them, they don't get that credit, and if they sell them at a big percentage off they also don't get full credit. The store is better off financially to throw them out than to sell them at a loss. It is a shame, but that's the way it is. It's first, last and always about the bottom line. Many places not only toss perfectly good items, they distroy them before they put them in the dumpster so that they are not usable. Many perfectly good and usable things are simply throw away to make room for a new line of merchandise or a rework of the display. And most of it comes from overseas someplace. It's no wonder prices everywhere are moving out of reach for many.

Many years ago my son had a part time job in one of the big name deli stores where they sell everything from deodorant to sandwiches. At the end of the day every sandwich that had been made and not sold was tossed. Our son made arrangements with the pastor to "be there" when that happened and they funneled them to the homeless... It was illegal, but sometimes we need to do what we have to do according to our conscience.

OMG - I am totally shocked!!! We have become a disposable country for the sake of bottom the line!!! I always shop the discounted bins at a store but that doesnt keep me from buying other things from the store - in fact I am more apt to buy other things there since I got such a great deal on some items. Our target does donate to Goodwill - I am very happy with that-I frequent both places but I dont wait until its donated to Goodwill to buy it lol

If someone wants to draft a letter to corporate offices I am willing to send it in as I am sure many others would too - we could then not limit the number of letters sent just to this board but to the contacts we have elsewhere. Its unfortunate - we cant boycott the stores since all of them have this policy. None of us would have fabric lol (Actually we could probably shop from other peoples stashes for awhile lol) Please pm me if theres a way to do this thanks cheryl

You remember the story of one bad apple spoils the whole barrell, well that is the problem. This is why the throwing stuff out became normal because rotten apple people worked the system one too many times, making things they wanted some of the things the store was dumping. So stores made it policy to destroy the stuff they were dumping or at least they are supposed too. Patterns are supposed to be destroyed before pitched and they throw them away big time. We ruin it our own selves by being greedy and dishonest. The store had to come up with ways to combat this kind of behavior. Most of the larger Joann's have enclosed the trash where it can not be gotten into from behind the stores, I have noticed more and more stores are doing this since dumpster diving is quite common...

As a merchandiser, I often have to destroy what looks like good products all the time. It sickened me to throw out a hundred or more boxes of Cheerios one day, but something was wrong. Most stores do that to take the full writeoff of the product against their taxes and avoid the "which charity" to give them too. It is sad. I'd rather them put it in a clearance bag and sell it if nothing else. Another thing that bothers me - her in Florida, there are hundreds of orange trees that are full of fruit and the fruit is rotting on the ground because no one can pick it and enjoy it. Something needs to be done to stop this wasteage and find another solution to responsible waste disposal. Let's all speak up and see what we can do to stop this!!!!!! Just my opinion for what its worth.

Target's corporate offices are located here in Minneapolis and they donate all of the buyers' samples to the Salvation Army. Anything from 10 versions of the same t-shirt (round neck, crew neck, turtleneck, etc.) to bedding, small appliances and home furniture. And although I've purchased a new king-size comforter for $12, Target got my business for the matching sheets. I wonder why other retailers can't follow this model?

Okay I'm VERY VERY against dumping. However, stores view it thus - if they GIVE an item to you as a donation someone may (and I've seen them do it) bring it back to the store and get credit for it. I know it sounds stupid but that happens.

There has to be a way to mark things or make a rule at the store - something like "No receipt - no return" that would circumvent this issue.

Dumpster diving can be illegal if the owner reports you to the police. I was a manager of a local restaurant, and did almost have to charge some rainbow people with it. They kept sneaking back to dig old biscuits, eggs and sausage out of the dumpster to eat. This was in July (90 degree temps with high humidity for 5 days) We did NOT offer them free food either as they were non workers, homeless by choice type of people. What they do is travel with as many people they can fit into one vehicle, and dig in dumpsters for food, items they can sell for gas money. They refuse to work for anything. Just pitch tents in farmers fields (not even asking to do so) along the road side, take baths in lakes, rivers etc. Do their clothes in the same places. We get them in the area about every 5 years or so.