Luen’s blog: A proper bargain

Charity shops are not always thought of as positively as they should be. As the high street has declined, charity shops and discount stores have tended to replace traditional stores and well-known brands. Often as a result of people looking for a bargain online, ironically!

So what about the 21^st century charity shop? You might be surprised to know that many have new goods that have never been used, unique gifts crafted by artisans and some amazing finds for anyone interested in retro or vintage, or for collectors or antique hunters. Not to mention furniture ideal for people setting up their first home or keen upcyclers.

Some of our shops have a real boutique feel to them; you wouldn’t know you were in a charity shop at all. One of our shops now runs specialist sessions for people with body dysmorphia and trans people and in some shops we have the most amazing bridal ranges.

Did you know we also have an eBay store, selling goods all over the world? Our shop team are great at spotting things that will sell for more online than in their shop and so the item will be promoted online instead.

And of course the best thing about charity shops must be the prices! Where else could you get top of the range branded gear for a fraction of the price? Nothing ever gets on our shelves that isn’t in tiptop condition and we can guarantee you that you won’t find anything we have anywhere else.

But that’s not all. Our shops prevent tons and tons of stuff from going to landfill – that’s great news for the environment. Our shops rely on volunteers to keep them running and for many of our volunteers this is a route back into employment – that’s great news for the economy. Our shops contribute hundreds of thousands of pounds to our work which means we can help more children and families when they need us most. In addition, when people gift-aid their donated goods, we receive an additional 25% of the item ticket price from the taxman – that’s great news for the donor and who doesn’t like to get the government to do its bit?

So why don’t you come in and have a look? You will be greeted by lovely people and are free to have a good root round. I bet you’ll find something you just can’t resist. And don’t forget, we need donations too, so bag it up, bring it down and we’ll do the rest.

Find out more about our shops here. 

(Photos kindly supplied by Elspeth Mary Moore)