It is estimated that there are around a whopping 11,209 charity shops in the UK selling all kinds of things from furniture, clothes, books, home decor, crafts, hobby supplies, and more.
By visiting a charity shop, you’re sure to be able to find an absolute bargain. And what with the general cost of living rising, we don’t all have an abundance of money left at the end of the month for lavish spending.
If you’re living on a budget, or simply love a bargain - then charity shops should be your first port of call. Check out our top 10 reasons why you should consider visiting a local charity shop.
1) You’re Supporting Local Charities
We all want to feel like we are doing our bit for charity, but sometimes feel we don’t necessarily have the funds to be able to support them in the way that we would like, for example setting up a monthly direct debit to your charity of choice.
However, we then spend an absolute fortune buying things online, or in-store - when if we had given a little extra thought we could’ve popped to a local charity shop to purchase a like-for-like item for half the price!
A lot of charities do not receive funding from the government and rely solely on donations, fundraising and legacies in Wills. All funds raised by purchases in (or even online!) from charity shops such as Oxfam go directly to the charity to help support them which supports your local community and people in need. So the next time you’re looking for a new bag or something quirky for your new home, take a wander down your local high street and check out some of the local charity shops.
2) You Can Find Unique or Vintage Items
If you’re a creative person and don’t always like to follow trends, a charity shop could be the ideal place for you to find unique or vintage items. And if you’re looking for something that no one else will have, charity shops are the place to go.
You can grab vintage jackets, tops and dresses that will likely cost £5 or less! You’re likely to even find a lot of clothes that regular high street fashion stores are attempting to “rip off” which can cost triple the price.
So if you’re looking for something unique for your next night out, it’s definitely worth hitting your local charity shops where you will almost certainly find something to suit your style at a bargain price.
3) You Can Grab A Bargain
Everyone loves a bargain! And nowadays the cost of living is hitting most of us and we are having to tighten our purse strings a little bit so we aren’t able to spend as lavishly as we may have done in the past.
If you are living on a budget and have an event such as a wedding, christening, family event or night out coming out and need to find either something to wear or a gift, then it is definitely worth visiting your local charity shop.
Not only will you be making a difference to a charity but you also won’t feel the burn in your purse!
4) They Have a Wide Range of Items
Whether you’re looking for new clothes, books to keep the kids entertained, crafting items, home decor, or even furniture - there is 100% a charity shop that will be selling all of these items and many, many more all at low prices.
Depending on your style, if you are kitting out your new home and are a lover of the 80s, for example, you’ll find unique and retro items at bargain prices that you literally cannot get on the High Street without spending enormous amounts of money. If you're keen on supporting the Royal British Legion and love to wear a poppy with pride, then head over to their Poppy shop for a huge number of fabulous items.
All the items that you get from a charity shop have their own story and character and are guaranteed to deliver the quality and finishing touch to your home. You’re likely to actually walk out with bags full of nicknacks that you didn’t even know you needed!
5) You Can Support Sustainable Shopping
We are living in a world currently that is trying to rectify all our previous mistakes when it comes to recycling and looking after our environment.
A massive way you can contribute to this is by buying secondhand items as opposed to fast-fashion items that are used once and then discarded.
Buying from a charity shop doesn’t mean that you are neglecting your taste in fashion, it simply means that you will actually be helping to reduce and lower your carbon footprint by buying something that isn’t brand-new. And technically you’ll still have something new hanging in your wardrobe!
6) You Can Find Great Quality Items
We all have that one friend who is super trendy and has great fashion sense. And when you ask them where they’ve bought certain items they’ll tell you “I found it in a charity shop for less than £2” and you’re absolutely astonished.
It isn't unheard of that some lucky bargain hunters have managed to find vintage designer items in charity shops. A lot of items in your local charity shop have probably lived longer than you or I.
Let’s be honest, back in the day items were built to last, so most of the items you’ll see in charity shops may be of age but they’re actually really great quality and probably will outlive a lot of the current high street items.
7) Enjoy the Thrill of the Treasure Hunt
One person's waste is another person's treasure!
There’s nothing more satisfying than digging around and finding an item of clothing that you didn’t even know you needed in your wardrobe or a home accessory that is exactly what you've been looking for.
The joy of visiting a charity shop is that even if you visit the same charity shop, every time you go there will be new and unique items hanging ready for you to find. V
Visiting the charity shop isn’t like visiting your average High Street store where you will find 20 of the same top in 4 different colours. You really have to have a hunt through the racks in a charity shop as every item will be something new and different.
8) No Pushy Salespeople
There is literally nothing worse than walking into a shop and immediately feeling like you’re being hounded by a salesperson with the usual “can I help you find anything“, “what are you looking for today“ etc.
I’ll be honest I would absolutely love a personal shopper but equally, sometimes I just want to be left alone to browse and get in and out of the shop.
When you’ve selected your items from a charity shop and go to pay they won’t be asking you to sign up for a new reward scheme, or storecard, or telling you that if you spend another £50 you’ll be able to get a free lipstick etc. This isn’t something that you need to worry about when you visit a charity shop, the staff are always friendly and willing to help but are never intrusive or “salesy”, they are just really grateful for your custom and contribution.
9) Buy Label-Free Items
We’re going to let you into a little secret…did you know that some of our favourite High Street stores actually have deals with local charity shops where they donate stock that isn’t sold during fashion sales? It’s true!
The charity shops agree with the High Street stores that they will cut out the labels which identify the stores that they have come from. So, it’s worth keeping an eye out when you’re rummaging through the racks and wondering why some items don’t have labels. That’s because they more than likely have come from a High Street brand and therefore are actually new items and not secondhand.
10) You Can Donate Your Own Clothes
After you’ve purchased half of the store and got home you’re probably realising that actually, you have more clout than you know what to do with. So if it’s time for a clear out!
Maybe you need to get rid of some old clothes that you just don’t like anymore, maybe you’ve lost or gained a little weight and want to get rid of bags full of clothes.
At a charity shop, you can of course donate clean and undamaged items as often as you like. This means you’re doing your bit for the environment, you may also be helping someone that may be struggling financially and cannot afford high street stores, and you’re supporting a local charity. If that doesn’t make you feel good, we’re not sure what will!
