valuevillage.ca Reviews 

The prices are too expensive and don’t reflect fairness in terms of the brand or quality, the staff is often rude, of ambiguous to helping with no understanding of how to treat customers. When asking for discounts on damaged or items priced too high there is a lack of competency or appreciation in why someone might ask, managers are not customer oriented or sales educated making the experience un enjoyable and hurting the rapport with our community. It’s a top down problem, when you hire uneducated are rude or abrupt managers you get stupid and abrupt/poorly educated staff.

Review for Value Village Guelph – CDC Department
Name: Aliu Ayantola
My Okta I’d: 1823229

I joined Value Village Guelph in October 2024 and spent over 15 months working in the CDC department. During that time, I had the privilege of working under a supervisor named Nihal Chaudhary, whose leadership set a very high standard. He was active, engaged, and consistently ensured that every team member was supported, productive, and treated with respect. The work environment under his supervision was clean, organized, and aligned with company policies. He understood the CDC operations thoroughly and created a positive atmosphere where teamwork and accountability were balanced.

Unfortunately, the leadership change that followed had a significant impact on the department. The new supervisor, KHRYSTYNA KOBYLIANSKA, was moved from production into a role overseeing CDC operations, despite not having the necessary experience or understanding of how the department functions. This lack of familiarity with CDC processes quickly became noticeable and affected the workflow also she was always very very rude with all team member, if we were busy in CDC she doesn’t even help us.

Beyond the operational challenges, the bigger concern was the shift in workplace culture. Communication became difficult, respect among team members declined, and the supportive environment we once had was no longer present. Many of us felt unheard and undervalued, and this ultimately led me to resign—a decision I never expected to make when I first joined.

I am sharing this review in hopes that higher management takes a closer look at the current situation within the CDC department. The standards, morale, and efficiency are not what they used to be, and several team members are experiencing similar issues. Value Village has the potential to maintain a strong, respectful, and productive workplace, but it requires leadership that understands the operations and supports the team.

I truly hope these concerns are taken seriously so the CDC can return to the high standard it once had.

I understand that when you shop at Value Village and buy second-hand items, you don’t get all the perks of shopping at a traditional retail store. However, this store has gone downhill over the years, and I’ve finally reached the point where I feel compelled to write this review.

There are no change rooms anymore, which forces customers to buy items without trying them on and then take them home. If the item doesn’t fit, you have to return to the store—only to find out they do not offer refunds, only exchanges. That means you’re required to walk around the store for another hour or more trying to find something of the exact same value. Gift cards are not allowed, and you’re limited to a 14-day window to make the exchange.

This system feels incredibly unfair and, frankly, scam-like.

On top of that, I’ve seen items with original price tags still attached, only to have Value Village mark them up significantly. For example, something originally priced at $1.99 is suddenly priced at $4.99 because they “feel” it’s worth more. That’s unacceptable.

I am extremely disappointed with how Value Village operates now and will not be returning anytime soon. I’ll be spending my money elsewhere—at stores that don’t make customers feel taken advantage of. Thanks a lot, Value Village.

I love going to thrift stores. The thing I find with value villages it's very expensive. The clothes are crammed in. It's very hard to find anyone to help you and it almost feels too big to be personable and you basically feel like a number when you go there, I prefer a smaller thrift store where it feels like the people care a bit more and the clothes don't smell as much.

stop price gouging i will no longer shop here i support local thrift shops with fair pricing instead, this is actually disgusting what VV is going with free clothing that is donated it needs to stop

This review specific for:
214 Silvercreek Pkwy N, Guelph, ON N1H 7E5

UPDATE Jan 6 2026: This pathetic place is a joke... they sell this exact orange flower cord (see newest photo upload) at Dollar Tree BRAND NEW in packaging for $1.50, and these clowns have it for $5.99!!!
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ORIGINAL Review Dec. 2025:

This location..... for that matter out of any thrift store that exists, this is the most overpriced AND disgusting thrift store I've ever been to!

For starters you don't need to have a business degree, just simple common sense to better your sales by having a testing area that ALSO has USB ports and cables, like most thrift stores usually have. Nothing that they sell that requires USB power comes with cables, so you have to go search and grab a pair that they're selling at a ridiculous price and even then you have to next go search for the AC brick that plugs into the outlet that you plug the USB cord you had to search for in the first place to test the overpriced item that they're selling that requires USB power!

But what is even worse is how disgusting and dirty the electronics were. It's like when they were dropped off they weren't even tested judging by the amount of dust and dirt that was on the items when they were put out on the shelves! It's common sense if you're going to overcharged for electronics at least clean them up so they look relatively decent! I was disgusted to even handle some of the electronics and storage bins you will see in the attached photos.

Then to add insult to injury, Value Village is a for-profit organization so you'd think they can easily afford to pay staff and management and train them properly on how to handle inventory, at the very least clean them up so they may look presentable and somewhat worth the ridiculous high prices they're asking.

I'll never be going back to this location... I would rather spend much less money at actual non-profit thrift stores that clean their inventory, have proper testing areas, charge reasonable prices AND I know at least some of my money is going to a charity, instead to an overpriced, lazy and disgusting for-profit organization!

Dec 21 2025
I didn't have a good experience
With my shopping
Me and my wife donate stuff there often we like to help poeple but it was my last shopping there sorry to say

They cover all of the IBSN NUMBERS ON THE BOOKS SO THE CUSTOMER CANT DO A BOOK LOOK UP.ALSO THERE PRICES ARE MARKED UP ON CERTAIN APPLIANCES THE SAME PRICE AS wall mart ..there was a muscle massauge gun with a ball on the end my 80 year old grand mother needed ,they marked it up for 49 dollars used .the employee that handles the pricing was very rude.

I can’t believe the management at this location in Peterborough. So rude. Heather is not only rude and mean to the employees but to customers too. Never going back

Absolute overpriced garbage, and we got accused of "tag switching" on a product for a $ 0.50 saving? Is that even a thing? Who does that? Either way, service staff grabbed it from my hands, took my cart and all my other items away from me and just started blurting out "tag switch" and told me to leave. I had to ask what "tag switch" even was, and was told, "oh like you don't know"? What a joke of service, no wonder no one shops there.

I do not like Value Village, as I have found it to be overpriced and not hiring people who speak the language that Canada was founded on. I prefer the Salvation Army for a thrift store because I know the money is going out to help the community.

Value village sell products very expensive like new products which are donated by public not buy from wholesale market. Prices of some products specifically garments are higher than new product in the market. People those can not offord new items ( Clothes or miscellaneous things) they visit the value village store to fulfill their need in cheaper price as they think but value village disappointed them by high items price. I personally experienced this by visited several value village stores in Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Oakville, and Burlington, and took pictures of their selling products for reference but can't show due to not attachment option. I protest and demand by Value village management to look into this matter seriously and resolve it wisely by keeping in view prices that Value village is a second hand store and needy/poor customers are approaching their stores to buy second hand products. Thanks

My experience was horrible. Me and my friend were trying to shop and we had filled the cart to the brim as we found many cute clothes. The manager then came up to us and began basically harassing us by telling us we “can’t be doing” that and “aren’t supposed to do that”. We spoke to him very respectfully and the only thing my friend said at the end was “please stop talking to us” because he kept disturbing us and then he completely banned us from the store. Terrible experience.

Bought several dolls for my girls to play with over the summer. One we opened one and her head was broken, you can see it. I called to ask if they would exchange because it clearly missed their sorting process. I was told to donate the doll back to get a 20% off coupon. I questioned her why would I donate the doll back it’s broken. She said it would be recycled. I questioned it would most likely get put back out in the shelf for someone else to buy and have the same issue. Sorry that’s not fair. I guess being that customer to open every single bag has to happen. Yikes ridiculous.

I placed some treasured but no longer required items into a bag and proceeded to drop them into the big green bin outside a VV on Eglinton East in Scarborough. It felt good. Someone else may stumble upon and get as much joy and use out of them as I once did. This concept was lost on the lad who came racing out the door of VV this morning, Sat July 18 and accused me of dumping garbage and made me wait while he had a quick look.

I was shopping at the Value Village location on Merivale in Ottawa on July 8, 2025. I filled 2 bags of baby/toddler clothes for $12.99 each that were just put out from the wire bins. All clothes were size newborn to size 3, and did not include outerwear or dresses, that I was told were excluded. At the cash, an employee dumped the bags and went through all the pieces 1 by 1. She removed approximately 10 items for no good reason. Saying they should have been priced individually. 1 item was a pair of Sears pink corduroy overalls in an infant size. Another item was a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt size 2. All this happened after waiting in a lineup of over 30 people and a shortage of staff. I should have left it all. I'm reporting this to the Better Business Bureau. Staff are just making up random reasons why baby clothes cannot be in the bag. I don't plan to shop here again.

You know what bothers me about Value Village in Ontario..Well, at least in Sault Ste Marie anyways? The fact that everything they have on their shelves or hanging up on a rack is donated to them. So, in other words, free.
I'm not sure who's in charge of pricing the items or if those orders come from the top management CEO's, however somebody needs to remind these people that nothing in that store is brand new EXCEPT for socks and underware. So, whoever's in charge of putting the price tag on most of the clothing items now is completely out of their damn mind!
Value Village is literally ripping people off now. I was in there last week for the first time in about 5-months, and was SHOCKED at some of the prices I seen. I suppose the high price tags aren't unlike all the retail establishments in this godforsaken country it seems; but that coming from a store where everything is, in FACT, 2nd hand.. or in other words, "Someone elses TRASH" at one point in time, makes absolutely no sense to me.
A price tag of $24.99 for a used pair of women's leggings is completely outrageous, and I don't care what physical condition they're in or what logo/name brand they come from; they are SECOND HAND and the price tag should reflect that fact. Shame on them!!
I refuse to even pay that much for brand new leggings at Walmart, much less, a used pair.
Do better Value Village or close your doors!

Since they removed the change rooms, I was told I could get store credit or exchange within 14 days if the clothes don't fit when I try them on at home, but no refund. That's fine. Now I hear when I go back, they'll make me use that credit up right away? Their clothes don't turn over much in 14 days, so I won't have anything to exchange for. I guess I'll see.

Also, no cashiers anymore. Just self checkout. I use a cane and am disabled and I was struggling with cashing myself out. The clerk saw me and walked by several times, not even asking if I needed help. Then I mumbled to myself "this is why I hate self checkouts, they're not disabled person friendly". The clerk obviously heard me and said very snarky "I can't read your mind, do you want help?" I just declined and said I'd get through it and then my cane fell and she just walked away leaving the cane on the floor and then watched me struggle to pick it up. I wish I got her name, but I just wanted to leave at that point.

After I get my exchanges done, I will never shop there again. Maybe I'll try another location. This was the Queenston Rd, Stoney Creek location.

The amount of racism from this store is just sad. I feel sorry for that one girl that had to experience that sort of thing if she was attempting to steal anything and from the looks of the video I saw she wasn't all ya have to do is 1.) Ask the customer to leave nicely and not to return to the store and 2.) Never make racist comments towards said customer.

Welland store - I don't know if she was a front end manager or supervisor but just completely rude and disrespectful to my self for answering a question asked by a staff member. She is an older lady was dressed all in brown. If she's this disrespectful to a customer probably doesn't treat staff very well either. STOP asking if it's cash or card. You almost always refuse to open a cash register if it is cash. So clearly if it's self check out its card. We are not stupid so please do not treat us as such. And if it's self check out STOP coming from behind and grabbing our stuff and scanning it (it's self check out) If you want to do cash then open a cash register. Trust me most of us would rather go through a cashier rather then self check out but this store has refused to open and get a cashier for my mother. Also almost always never any one at the jewelry counter have had to wait and been refused to get something from there as they didn't want to open it. These Valu village stores have gone way down hill and do not respect customers and I'm sure there staff ☹️