Hope Ministries Thrift Store

Cheri Olerich

2022-05

It’s sad how much management has changed things. Since taking over this summer, prices have doubled, even tripled. Dollar store items are priced over $1, sometimes up to $5… see photos. I can go down the street and buy jeans, coats, dresses for at least half the price… this was once a store with a mission to help those who couldn’t afford brand new things. Now they can’t even afford used items donated to Hope.Prior to the management takeover, I used to shop at least twice a week and spend a lot of money. The employees knew me. One older clerk knew I come in a lot but never said hi, always asked if I wanted to round up (all the clerks knew me and knew I always did… she asked every time), never smiles, etc…. Not sure why she’s there as her customer service stinks. I only go once a month now, hoping that something changes, but I’m not hopeful. I’ve messaged, tried to convey my concerns, but they never reply. There are much better thrift stores.. DAV, SVDP and Animal lifeline….

James Wright

2023-10

Not the best thrift store in town. It smelled kind of funny the selection wasn't great in the prices were significantly higher than others.

Danyale Johnson

2024-01

They are having this women start stuff with me and they don't do nothing bout it. It not fair or right. Said we both have to go and she works there. I got a right to be happy and not mess with. Even the other girls saw and heard it. I just want to have my own place and to not freeze to death.

Tierra

2024-04

Amazing group of workers, very clean place, and the prices are affordable. Stop by whenever you get a chance you won't be disappointed.

Elaine Smith

2023-05

Always friendly staff and great deals. Got these stiffel lamps for next to nothing

Lonnie Johnson

2023-08

Calling this place a "Thrift Store" is a joke. Prices are so high you can almost buy new for less. DOLLAR TREE items priced at $5 or more. USED shirts $9, $10, $11, $12 or more. GET REAL. People generally go to a thrift store to save money, or because they just cant afford new......forget about that here. A few months ago when I was in, there was a short bald guy, who I assume was the manager saying their prices have to be high because they do so much more for the community than the Salvation Army or St Vincent De Paul does. Today was the last straw. Pulled a utensil out of the utensil bin......get to the cash register and the uppity check out lady says oh no this isnt a utensil and proceeded to charge me TRIPLE for it. THEN has the nerve to ask if I wanted to "round up" to help out. I believe this will be the last time I go here.

Frank Lowery

2023-05

So over price it sick hate going in but i stop sometimes 14 dollar for 3 games worth 2 dollars 74 dollars for wii items that worth 40 brand new crazy just sell on ebay

Bryan Welch

2022-05

Good source for quality clothing, toys, furniture, and other items. Prices are sometimes quite good. Staff is always friendly and helpful.

Wendy Schneider

2024-01

The prices are extremely high...on Drcember 29 they only had their Christmas items marked down 25%

Dudes2you

2023-09

Don't go to this place the staff is rude still waiting for my partial purchase refund. "Holy" yeah right. We all know these types of people. Well I'm gonna keep posting the truth about your guy's bad prices and rude behavior until I get my refund back.

Alcatraz Cherryblossom

2023-09

Ive been to this store so many times and never found anything to buy. Ive given it multiple chances but it never surprise me. I also always have to wash my hands after cause nothing is clean here.

tiffani smith

2022-05

Great prices for sure, and amazing employees! Bought a couch there a few years ago for cheap and recently decided we needed a new one. Wanted a sectional and the second we walked in, we saw one in great shape for only $240.I love that over time they lower the prices, and make things affordable for people.They have a large selection of items and the people that work there are beyond kind and helpful!By far my favorite thrift shop!

Katie Powell

2023-05

I thrift shop on the regular for the past 20 years. This place used to be called encore and it was by far, much more of a ministry to those of us who purchase out of necessity, used, dated and and sometimes if you’re lucky, never been worn. These items have been given to the merchant as charity, for the primary purpose of providing a blessing to those financially, less fortunate and because of that, we as a community have greatly appreciated prices that are mindful to that financial hardship in life. It is quite obvious to me that hope ministries thrift shop has lost sight of its mission. The prices are outrageous. They’re insulting, inappropriate and downright wrong. It makes absolutely no difference if you receive charity that has great value, it is a sign of poor character of whoever is making these decisions for prices, just to make a buck, that is and should not be your objective. It should however, be provided to a person who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it for a much lower cost. I understand business and I understand the primary goal of business is to make that money, but being named ministry, you are held at a much higher standard. You do not provide that service. What a shame on your “ministry”.

JCJ Lightly

2021-05

I have shopped at this location and love it!! They make it a point to make shopping there a wonderful experience! Personally I believe the store has a great selection of name brand clothing. The prices are very affordable. They are very well displayed. The employees working there go out of their way to help you and are very kind. The book selection is awesome; they carry fiction, non-fiction and children's books too. They have a nice selection of art work, kitchen glassware, shoes, jackets, coats for both men, women and children. I enjoy shopping there so much I go about once a week. I am not looking for antiques. I am shopping to save money and provide jobs for their employees. I highly recommend this store!!

JC Sixtos

2022-05

The prices are a little higher than what you would expect. For those of us who can see the greater value of the charitable purpose, then that is not a problem but for someone who doesn't, then that becomes a problem. I saw old hats there for close to $10, I mean they are hats and they are not the greatest quality or have a recognizable emblem. They need to put some music here, the shopping experience is awkward cause you can hear everything in the store. Music would be kind of nice, like the rest of the thirst stores in town. I give it a 4 star cause overall my shopping experience was good.

Serena Brown

2022-05

Have been there a number of times, each time I was shocked by how high the prices are. The staff was very unprofessional each time. This last time was a deal breaker for me.3 of the 4 items I wanted to buy the lady said the tag "looked suspicious" because the hole was a little wider than normal (it was not) and went back to "ask". She brought back the items highly marked up saying they were a nice brand so they added $$ to the price they had previously marked it for.They have lost another customer due to their greed and customer service.

Deana McGillan

2023-05

It's nown sense the price they charge for free items.. if these second hands stores are no longer for the poor. If they never had so many stores they wouldn't have to charge such high prices for what is given to them. I've learned to check out clearance items at the other stores in the malls..I wish they would stop robbing from the poor and acting like they are helping people. They even sale things that shouldn't be on a rack. To expensive for me. I'll go elsewhere myself. Shame on this company. It's not Hope it's depressing

Jacki Franklin

2023-05

Over priced and the old lady with the glasses and black hair was rude to me for telling her a lot of stuff is over priced for a thrift store. So when I gave her a $10 bill and 99 cents she had an attitude and acted like I was making a mistake. It was $6.99 for what I bought. So when I gave her attitude and counted it out for her she said she didn't need my help. Obviously you did or you would not of been rude and talked to me like I'm stupid. She asked if I was trying to donate the $4?!?! I just told you your store was over priced! Did you honestly think I would donate $4 to you guys? Then she tried to act all innocent and say Jesus loves you...Jesus does love me I'm a Christian. Do you honestly think he'd be happy that you're charging so much? Do you think he'd be cool with you treating me like garbage? Yeah right lady.

Jill

2023-10

A price tag of 3.99 on a used plastic bowl is ridiculous. The children's clothing is the only thing that is priced fairly at this place.

Scott Thomas Parks

2023-05

I work at a competing thrift store, so I can safely say that the Hope Ministries Thrift Store offers similar quality merchandise compared with the store where I work. In all fairness, high quality donations translate into high quality merchandise that thrift store customers prefer to purchase!

Dulci Bales

2021-05

For a long time Encore mas my go to thrift store to shop. Recently there had been some serious changes to the store...not sure why. It used to be that there were three colors of tags each would give you a different percentage off. When you donated you for that day got a 10% discount off your entire bill. Someone who wasn't making much money it was a great way to get good quality items at a really good price. But things have changed. The discount color tags are gone, when you donate to the store there is no longer a discount. Those are understandable those weren't any big deal although the discounts were nice. I went there today to go shopping and I noticed that the price increase on the items range anywhere from $3 more to $20 more. Depending on the item close now range from 299 up to $10 for an item of clothing. The staff still seems nice, however with the new increase in prices and with the discount no longer in effect I sadly must say that I will no longer be able to shop there cuz of the price increase.

Stephen Baker

2022-05

Prices are pretty high. Very little turnover, you see the same stuff week after week. The staff is friendly, at least. St Vincent DePaul down the street is way better! It has the lowest prices in Des Moines and always has new stock.

Casandra Robinson

2021-05

This use to be one of my favorite spots, but they are getting greedy and raising their prices and canceling discounts. Their clothes selection for women, boys and girls is great and I've come across some unique furniture pieces but those are usually over priced. It's sad to see greed get to these places. It's like they forget or just don't care that they got all that stuff for free so turning around and selling it for just under department store prices seems messed up to me.

Bobbi Brown

2021-05

The Encore store on Armypost in Des Moines has always been my favorite thrift store, I have shopped there since it opened. The store is always very clean and well organized, and the majority of the staff are very friendly, welcoming, and helpful. I have always found their items in great condition with a good variety and very reasonably priced. After not visiting the store for several months due to Covid, I was recently shocked during my visit a few days ago. The prices on everything have skyrocketed, ridiculously overpriced. Even for tiny little knickknacks, most were $3 or more when previously they were .99 cents. A recliner that previously would have been around $25-30 is now $65, and a nothing special end table was $55. I was sorely disappointed and left with only one pair of $10 blue jeans that I later found to have a cigarette butt in the pocket.

Debora Hudson

2019-05

This Thrift store is very clean, well taken care of. The prices can be a little high for me (anything over a couple of bucks is close to my dollar limit) I was here twice in the last week,once looking for a Flannel Shirt for my 93 year old Dad (lots of shirts, just not the kind Dad wanted, 2 pockets, etc.) and then looking for a Summer. Dress for me, size 1,2 or 3 X, none that would work for me, had some decent choices though : ) plenty of parking, they were very busy today : ) The cashier was friendly, said Thank you for coming in, even though I didn't buy anything. I will be back : )

515_ HustleBiz

2023-05

1st time I was there I asked the manager to let me see something that was behind the class counter, she just left me standing there and walked off. Today she was there again I asked her again about something that was behind the glass, she walks off n comes back n is rude about it all. She's (Jane) is rude to all employees and Customers needs a job without Customers interaction.

Jane Goche

2022-05

The only thing I didn't like is the had watches behind the counter . I looked at the and the were not working . I ask the lady how much and she said 4.99. I could go to a store get get one that works for five dollars. And they didn't even now if it was the battery. They should not be selling if the don't work. And they don't know if they ever worked.

Laura Burriola

2021-05

I have shopped here for years usually a few times a month however I will not be shopping here anymore. They have taken away there colored coded discounts 25% 50% and 70% away due to new management. The discount was a way to buy when prices were a little higher then what you would find at other thrift stores. Their prices are way to high now. I usually shop for clothes for my 3 year old granddaughter and sometimes for other things. I will not buy used clothing that I can buy new for not much more money in stores with sales etc. I also will not donate anything here anymore. I donate so that people who can't afford new can find quality items at prices they can afford this is not that store. It's sad that a Christian based business set up to help those in need has lost sight of what their mission is about.

Hootenberry News

2023-05

Extremely over priced. I was absolutely stunned. You know this "charity" is bad when Goodwill's prices seem low in comparison. This place gives Christians a bad name. I pray God puts this greedy organization out of business.

Chelsea Smith

2019-05

It's super organized, clean, spacious, and staffed with amazing people. The only issue for me was most clothes are geared towards older individuals. I found awesome jeans but the tops were not for anyone under 40ish.