Lane Cove’s op shops are getting ready for World Op Shop Day tomorrow, Saturday 17 October 2026. Some are offering one-day discounts, and there’s a free doorstep collection for anyone wanting to clear out their wardrobe.
Charitable Reuse Australia, the peak body for charity retailers, runs the day across Australia and New Zealand. It celebrates the role op shops play in their communities: raising money for welfare and support programs, creating jobs and volunteering opportunities and keeping usable goods out of landfill. Everyone is invited to take part as a shopper, a donor or a volunteer.
This is only the second World Op Shop Day. The first, in 2025, marked a century of op shops in Australia.
A Century of Op Shopping
The term “op shop”, short for “opportunity shop”, dates back to 1920s Melbourne. Lady Millie Tallis opened a second-hand shop near St Vincent’s Hospital to raise money for its x-ray department. She chose the name to give charity resale a more dignified image, stressing the opportunity it offered both donors and buyers. The idea spread quickly as charities across the country opened shops to fund their community work. Today the term is still unique to Australia and New Zealand.
What’s On Locally
Vinnies: 50% Off Storewide
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is holding a one-day, half-price sale across its NSW shops, including Lane Cove, and online at Vinnies Finds. The sale covers clothing, accessories, homewares, books, furniture, sporting goods and more.
Exclusions apply: Vinnies-branded new items, Bundle Buys at outlet stores and gift cards. The discount applies to the ticketed price and can’t be combined with other offers or applied to earlier purchases.
Vinnies NSW says it kept 3.4 million kilograms of donated textiles out of landfill last financial year.
More information: Vinnies NSW shops
Anglicare: Spend $25, Get $5 Off
Anglicare Op Shop Lane Cove is offering $5 off when you spend $25 or more on pre-loved items in a single transaction, on Saturday 17 October only. One discount applies per transaction, and shop terms and conditions apply.
More information: Anglicare
Red Cross and Lifeline: Open as Usual
Red Cross Lane Cove and Lifeline Lane Cove will both trade as normal on Saturday. Every purchase supports their community programs.
Donate From Your Doorstep: Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive
If you’d rather give than buy, the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive returns on Saturday 17 October. Sydney residents can book one free Uber Courier pick-up to send quality pre-loved clothing to Red Cross Shops. This year’s campaign features Melanie C, who is donating pieces from her 30-year sportswear collection.
How it works:
- Pack your clothes into a sturdy bag or box. It must weigh less than 20kg and fit in the boot of a mid-size car.
- Between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, open the Uber or Uber Eats app and tap the Red Cross Clothing Drive tile.
- Follow the prompts to the checkout screen. The drop-off point should be pre-selected and the Courier trip should show $0.
- Confirm the booking and meet the driver at your door or kerbside.
If the tile doesn’t appear, select Courier in the Uber app, search for “Red Cross Shop” and choose the first result. Pre-booking isn’t available, and each person can book one free pick-up.
What Red Cross accepts: clean, good-quality clothing and accessories (including vintage, retro and designer pieces) and clean, undamaged shoes, ideally kept together in pairs.
What Red Cross can’t accept: damaged, dirty or stained clothing, underwear or socks, furniture or household items and children’s clothing (most Red Cross Shops don’t stock it).
Money raised through Red Cross Shops funds disaster support, daily phone calls to older Australians living alone and practical help for former refugees.
Find More Op Shops
Charitable Reuse Australia lists participating events on its What’s On Near Me page. Its Op Shop Finder can help you locate charity retailers nearby.
In the Cove is free to read and paywall-free, and we’d like to keep it that way. If you value independent local journalism, consider supporting us.
Buy us a coffee · Support via Presspatron · Advertise with us