Vlogger Chelsey Bowen said she felt “deflated” after visiting seven charity shops in a single day — and explained why the hunt ended with a meal deal and a trip to Sainsbury’s
Chelsey Bowen admitted that the trip left her feeling “deflated” (stock)(Image: lechatnoir via Getty Images)
A woman who spent a day visiting seven charity shops has confessed that the experience left her feeling “deflated” — and she ultimately abandoned her search and headed to Sainsbury’s instead. Chelsey Bowen, a vlogger whose content centres on crafting, home décor, and shopping, recently toured the shops in Penzance for a segment she titled “Charity Shop Tuesday”.
She documented the town’s offerings in a video for her self-titled YouTube channel, beginning with the Cornwall Hospice shop. Among the bargain items she browsed were a cushion cover adorned with teddy bears, fabric, pink plant pots, glass trinkets, floral plates, and mugs.
Her next stop was the British Heart Foundation, where Chelsey looked over a sewing box, handmade children’s dresses, and floral crockery. It appeared to be a brief visit, however, as she was soon filming at the Cornwall Animal Hospital Shop.
There, Chelsey browsed the women’s clothing and examined a strawberry-decorated plate, a brass cat, and a piggy bank. She then made her way to the Scope shop on Causewayhead, where she sifted through the clothing rails.
She also cast an eye over some of the bric-a-brac on offer, including a pair of candlesticks, picture frames, and soap. Chelsey was subsequently filmed walking along a street after calling in at two further shops, remarking that she encountered “much of the same”.
As a final stop, she tried the Sue Ryder store before calling it a day. Inside, she browsed two novelty mugs, a Peter Rabbit bowl, and yet more clothing rails, but ultimately decided to head to the Co-op for something to eat.
Back in her car, Chelsey explained that she had picked up a meal deal, but found the charity shop outing rather underwhelming. “I’m a bit disappointed, really. I feel a bit deflated”, she said.
“I just found nothing out there that I wanted or just, yeah, that just tickled my fancy.”
However, Chelsey was not ready to give up on her search for new clothing. She added: “So, I’m going to sit here now, eat my meal deal, and then I’m going to make my way over to Sainsbury’s and see what new clothing they have.”
Her fruitless shopping trip appears to mirror the experience of fellow charity shop enthusiast Charlotte, who previously opened up about her own disillusionment in a video for her YouTube channel, Pink Peach Finds.
Charlotte revealed that she may have “had enough” after growing increasingly frustrated by what the shops have to offer.
She said: “So I think I might actually have had enough of charity shops. Now that’s a really strange thing for me to say because for years, I’ve absolutely loved them. Not just because I’m a reseller. I liked charity shops long before I started reselling.
“And the feeling that I loved most was the idea that you might find something that somebody else hasn’t yet found. But lately, I’ve just not felt that.”
