Charity Shops: The Inside Scoop

  With the rise of Vinted and Depop , I can't help but feel that charity shops are missing out.  Once upon a time, young people donated items they didn't want anymore to charity shops. Instead, they now download Vinted, take some photos of their old clothes and sell them for money.  Vinted (2024). And can you blame them?  Personally, I think Vinted and the likes of Depop have created a dearth of donations to charity shops, especially with the age demographic of 16-25. Vinted have been featured in the news lots lately, with regards to being the first second hand clothing platform that's made a profit. They have had an increase in sales of 61% from 2022 to 2023, showing just how many people are using the app!  Hooker, L. (2024).   However, if you do go on Vinted, you can see Oxfam are trying to stay in the game and have opened their own store front on the app!  It's under the name ' oxfamgbshop .' Go and have a look at it! This has come from their appear...

Own Image When I say 'charity shops'... you say 'cheap,' right?  Wrong! You used to pop into a charity shop and get a t-shirt for £2.50 max. Now, it seems, you're looking at £7, at LEAST!  When volunteering at my local charity shop, I used to encounter bemused, bewildered and bristling customers, after they had taken one glance at a price tag.  "How could a charity shop charge £20 for a pair of jeans?"  Well, the answer I was trained to give is that the item is new, still has it's original tags and is from a quality brand. Some people think this is justifiable, yet others are scandalised. Possibly, it's because charity shops used to sell lower quality clothing and didn't have the same 'unique/vintage' feel. Whereas now, some have moved to claim 'boutique' status, with a window display boasting Jimmy Choo's and Barbour jackets.   Where I volunteered, there would always be a hive of activity in the donation room, with staff bu...

Oxfam website logo Gorgeously dressed models wear ... second hand clothing on Oxfam's website! You can go into Oxfam's stores to get the full sensory shopping experience... OR, you can sit on the sofa at home. Open your laptop. Search for Oxfam's online shop and enjoy browsing all the second-hand items they have on their website!  Oxfam's online shopping presence leaves other charity shops in the dust...  They have key trends featured such as gifts for book lovers that may be signed or are first editions, as well as an extensive range of designer clothing, some still with original tags. They even have models wearing glitzy dresses and chunky heels in advance of a Christmas party, offering real competition for high end fashion magazines!  (Oxfam.org.uk. 2024) Screenshot The most unexpected item that is featured prominently...? Wedding dresses! Hundreds of white gowns for sale, many going for as little as £30! Some being genuine vintage or designer, but all with history....

Deserted and desolate ... This paints the picture of the average high street in the UK. With the cost of living crisis, Covid19 and a shift to online shopping, the once bustling streets are now nearly bereft of customers.  Debenhams? Closed. Topshop? Boarded up. Paperchase? Written out of history.  These popular stores sat empty until an unexpected competitor appeared on the scene to fill the empty spaces. Who could this be...?  Image by author The humble charity shop of course! Ranging from Oxfam, to Barnardo's, to Save The Children, they all started to take over empty retail spaces and vie for customers' money. You would expect these charities to meet the same fate that the likes of Paperchase did, however they appear to be persevering and even prospering. The Charity Retail Association stated they are experiencing as much as a 15% increase in profits from 2022 to 2023! (Charity Retail Association, 2023). So, what's the big deal with charity shops? Why are they spr...