From Bargains to Barriers: the Price of Sustainable Is Not Affordable to Me Anymore

Title:

From Bargains to Barriers: the Price of Sustainable Is Not Affordable to Me Anymore

Lead：

A post on Reddit recently goes viral on internet, with a picture taken in Salvos, showing a pair of second-hand shoes sold at $400. For many young Australians, op shops like Salvos and Vinnes were a convenient place for sustainable shopping. However, as the cost of living arises, even the thrift shops are becoming unaffordable. When public attitudes had changed to op shops, the prices also had changed.

Pic by r/Australia from Reddit

Story Topics & Angles：

This news story will be a feature article, which aims to explore how Australian residents’ (including everyone live here) shopping habits are changed because of the rising cost of living in Australia.

This article will begin with a 24-year-old international student in Sydney, who is a big fan of thrifting and op shops. However, she used to be a fast fashion buyer, who had changed her idea because of sustainable theory and recognition of environment supporting. She went to op shops for another thrifting to support environment, but found some items were even more expensive than the new ones.

Her story comes with a common question among Australian young, that is second hand fashion still holds its purpose of environmentally friendly and money saving?

Target Publication & Audiences:

• Target Publication: ABC News – Lifestyle section.
• Audiences：Young people who care about fashion, environmental protection and sustainable shopping. People who live in Sydney with a low salary.

ABC News is selected because of its massive audiences and appropriate direction. According to ABC Annual Report 2023-2024, the Lifestyle and Entertainment sectors are designed to appeal to “younger people and women”, who are exactly the tailored group for topics like fashion.

Besides, ABC News claimed its focus on content that supports “the wellbeing of communities and daily life”, which is close to sustainable shopping. With rising living costs and sustainable fashion becoming challenging, this story matches the platform’s goals and audience interests.

Pics form ABC Annual Report

Sources & Research:

Probable Interviewees:

• The international student who can share her personal experience of rising price in the op shops and how she feels about it.
• A volunteer or staff who works from a local thrifting store like Vinnies or Salvos, who can tell another side of this story about price decisions and business influence.
• A second-hand clothes maker or a fans of thrifting who care about environment, who can talk about the true avenue behind the op shops.

Online sources:

• https://www.fashionrevolution.org/oceania/australia/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1ej09a3/a_bargain_i_found_at_salvos/
• https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/gross-opshop-find-exposes-huge-problem-for-struggling-aussies/news-story/27d1a22b9a5e8e58840614a8db407330
• https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-08/australians-turning-to-op-shops-in-cost-of-living-crisis/103809766

Multimedia & Online Techniques:

• Photos: a Sydney op shop, the expensive second-hand item.

Pics from news.com.au

• Videos: people shopping in the op stores
• Hyperlinks: to relevant news stories
• Keyword tags: #sustainablefashion #opshop#vinnes#slowfashion
• Online poll: Would you pay over 100 for an item in op shops?
• Commentary places
• Share buttons: Ins, X, link, Linkedln, Facebook, WhatsApp, copy link.

Conclusion:

This news story not just appeal to public interest and daily life, it also shows news value of timely because many people are changing their lifestyle and trying to save money right now under the slow pace of economy.

It also includes conflict, between people who want to live sustainably and the rising prices that stop them. By focusing on one student’s experience, it feels close and personal.