Opportunity shops offer bargain designer labels Melissa Miles, 26, in a new Diana Ferrari dress purchased at a Caloundra Op Shop for $39.95, does the rounds of the town's other 10 opportunity shops. HUMBLE op shops have had a stylish makeover and launched a retail assault on upmarket clothing outlets, stocking new designer clothes, shoes and accessories to complement their secondhand range. In a battle for the fashion-conscious customer, Endeavour Foundation, Red Cross and Lifeline are leading the way, selling last season's labels worth hundreds of dollars for a quarter of the price. Charity "boutiques" stocked only with new clothes and accessories are also opening in upmarket shopping districts to rival mainstream stores. Others are branching into homewares, offering latest-season cushions, rugs and handcrafted Balinese ornaments from the same suppliers as Melbourne and Sydney boutiques. The shift in focus comes as charity organisations seek to differentiate themselves in the competitive op shop market and appeal to a broader set of customers. Aided by the explosion in cheap overseas manufacturing they can buy new products to compensate for the poor quality of some secondhand clothes. Others are reaping the benefits of the recent economic slowdown, with boutiques donating unsold stock. In some cases, corporate donors can claim tax breaks. With the abundance of new treasures mixing on the shelves with secondhand staples, op-shopping has turned into a treasure hunt expedition. Regular op-shoppers now race to their favourite stores on delivery day to pick up $300 Sportsgirl dresses for $39.95 and Pierre Fontaine diamante strap heels for $16.95. On the Gold Coast, the Endeavour Foundation's newest flagship boutique opened last week, filled with fashion labels such as Ladakh, George, Milleni and Victoria Station handbags, donated by a Brisbane boutique. On opening day, a Treuse cocktail dress which was $269 last season was being sold for $99.95, with original price tags still attached. There was also a Mooloola maxi dress (rrp $129.95) for $19.95 and a Roxi maxi dress (rrp $149.95) for $24.95. The Gold Coast is also home to two new specialist Red Cross boutiques. The flagship store in Surfers Paradise's Chevron Renaissance building is named The Boulevard and contains no secondhand goods. Its range includes new bikinis and swimsuits from labels like La Mer Couture, cotton sarongs, handbags from Sassy Duck and Gabee and costume jewellery brands seen in Grazia magazine. The second store at Coolangatta carries a similar range as well as secondhand clothes. On the Sunshine Coast, Caloundra's Lifeline store has set a new benchmark with homewares including Indian rugs, cushions and leather placemats. These are sourced cheaply from suppliers like Funky Norman's and Bagus who also sell to stores like Loot. Red Cross general manager merchandise Olivia Cozzolino said their new products were a mix of corporate donations and competitive purchases. Country Road regularly offloads end-of season stock. Endeavour Foundation receives stock from Sportsgirl and City Beach, plus donations from private boutiques. In Maleny, the Endeavour Foundation store has designer labels from Louis Vuitton to Charlie Brown from local stores. Even the Salvation Army has branched out but focuses mainly on kitchen and bathroom products from China. Keen op-shopper Kylie Carter, from Caloundra, said young women were realising they could deck themselves out like new if they were willing to regularly scout around. Endeavour Foundation Mooloolaba Sportsgirl single strap black dress (rrp $149.95) $79.95 De Cavalier Italy gold and emerald beaded platform thongs $39.95 Ravella black leather knee-high boots (rrp $199) $24.95 Endeavour Foundation Maleny Poetic License beige suede shoes with multi-coloured spots, pink cork heel and purple trim (rrp $159) $59.95 Charlie Brown black leather handbag (rrp $189) $50 Versace blue jeans (rrp $300) $50 Endeavour Foundation Paddington Dries Van Noten blush and black silk skirt (rrp up to $500) $164.95 Fendi black-and-silver sandals with kitten heels (rrp up to $800) $109.95 'agnes b' black two-piece skirt suit with multi-coloured spots (rrp up to $300) $79.95 Red Cross Surfers Paradise - The Boulevard Lethal chocolate satin evening bag with feather trim (rrp $89) $49.95 Capriosca one-piece black swimsuit with teal and green top and waist minimiser (rrp up to $129) $49.95 The Accessory Company multi-chain silver pendant (rrp $69) $25 Red Cross Coolangatta The Accessory Company pearl and silver evening set of necklace and earrings (rrp $69) $24.95 Palm Beach one-piece black-and-gold patterned swimsuit (rrp $120) $49.95 Ooh La Lily black plait day bag with silver circle trim (rrp $75) $39.95 Lifeline Caloundra Faux fur throw (rrp $100) $83.95 Wrought iron umbrella stand $67.95 Handcrafted mosaic plate $35 Lifeline Gold Coast Rodd & Gunn men's casual button shirts (rrp $69.95) $12.50 (Treetops store) Queen inner spring mattress (rrp up to $900) $249 (Molendinar store) Six-piece dining set, wooden with glass panel top (rrp $1000) $600 (Mermaid Beach store)