What's The Big Deal With Charity Shops?


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...? 

Charity shops shelves with items on it
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 springing up in droves around our towns and villages? I think the most prominent factor is that many people are trying to save money where they can, due to the cost of living crisis. £45 for a new jumper? Why bother! 

Just pop into the local Oxfam and get one that's practically new for £5! Granted, it may be a fraction of the cost, but it might take more than a fraction of time to look for a specific item, especially if you are hunting round a few different stores...

That being said, the thrill of finding a unique, cheaper option that contributes to worthy charity causes makes the hunt all the more worthwhile!

Pull up a chair, put on the kettle and watch this space, as more blogs are posted to fill you in on the latest charity shop reflections!


(Charity Retail Association, 2023). Charity shop sales continue to soar as charities report record sales quarter. [online] Available at: https://www.charityretail.org.uk/charity-shop-sales-continue-to-soar-as-charities-report-record-sales-quarter/. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seasonal Second-Hand Shopping

Image
Is it too early to mention the ' C ' word? Own Image Well, I will anyway! Christmas is less than 2 months away and savvy shoppers such as yourselves may be thinking of getting presents early to spread the cost. Before you do this... Why not shop second hand? You could purchase something from a charity shop for your family members and friends at a cheaper cost. This would provide  money for charitable causes AND it prevents excess waste going to landfill. Did you know that 19% of Christmas gifts that people receive are put into landfill each year??  Ward, G. (2019). The result of this being captured in the image below... Image by  Dobson, M. (2020) Shocking? Absolutely! Many of us consumers don't see the 'dark' side of post Christmas consumption waste, as it no longer becomes our problem once we bin the items. This mindset needs to be changed. I'm not suggesting that shopping second hand will solve these mass waste problems, I just think if we try to turn to pl...
Read more

Money Talks...And So Does This Post!

Image
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...
Read more