Charity starts at home!
With the increase in the cost of living, people are changing their shopping habits, whereas we would previously boast about how much we spent on something the focus has now shifted to brag about how much we have saved.
The rise in charity shops is one of the ways that we are getting smarter with our shopping habits, the stigma that was once attached to these shops seems to have disappeared completely.
There are more and more charity shops popping up on the high street: Cancer research, Air ambulance, YMCA and others are now a familiar site in many towns and people seem to be embracing them with gusto.
I asked a few people why they had chosen to shop in their local charity shops rather than go and buy the items new.
“I love having a rummage, you never know what you will find and it won’t cost you a fortune”
“For the cost of one top from the high street shops I can get a whole outfit from here”
And
“ I like the idea my money’s going to help someone rather than just to the shops “
And it seems everyone is getting on the action, whereas before the men’s section might consist of a jumper and a pair of shoes it now takes up half the store and is attracting a lot more foot traffic as the fellas get in on the money saving.
You can even find items with the tags still attached that have never been worn and things donated directly from the major stores themselves, Asda for example are known to give excess stock to charity shops meaning bargains can be had at a fraction of what they would have cost.
Designer labels are also not unknown to be found, with some shops specialising in the better-known labels while others have gems hidden in the rails waiting to be found. I once found a little girls Amani dress still with the hologram label attached for £5.
Wedding dresses and prom dresses are also items that you would not have expected to find gracing the rails a few years ago, but now there are whole stores dedicated to them, Oxfam and St Giles being the front runners for this.
“People are more willing to part with items now,” one shop worker told me.
“We don’t have as much storage space or as much sentimental attachment to items, plus people seem to get bored with their regular clothes and want a change”
But it’s not just clothes we seem to be interested in, toys, curtains, homeware and books all have seen an upsurge in both donations and purchases.
It would seem the whole nation is getting in on the act, so next time you’re in town pop in and have a quick look, you might be surprised what you can find.
CLICK HERE to find out my one big secret to saving £400 a year on my shopping.
