Charity shops

Charity shops are retail outlets selling mainly second-hand donated goods to raise funds and awareness for their parent charities. Charity shops can only be set up by charities. An individual cannot set up a charity shop.

Charity shops benefit from tax concessions because all the profits from a charity shop serve a charitable purpose. Charity shops benefit from exemption from corporation tax on profits, a zero VAT rating on the sale of donated goods and 80 per cent mandatory non-domestic rate relief. This 80 per cent relief is funded by central government. A further 20 per cent rate relief is available at the discretion of local authorities.
Civil Society publishes an annual survey of charity shops in the UK, allowing charities to benchmark the performance of their own shops against other charities. In 2010 the Charity Shops Survey will be in its 19th year.

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Minister denies music licensing change will cost sector £20m

Minister denies music licensing change will cost sector £20m 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 11 Mar 2010

Minister for the third sector Angela Smith has been challenged to reveal the true cost to charities of the forthcoming music licensing changes, after she claimed in Parliament that the predicted figure of £20m was “an overstatement”.

BHF installs point of sale system in its 600 charity shops

BHF installs point of sale system in its 600 charity shops 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 10 Mar 2010

British Heart Foundation, owner of the UK’s second largest charity shop chain, has chosen to install Toshiba Tec’s ST-A10 TouchPOS system in its 600 stores.

Campaign against bogus charity collections launched by govt

Campaign against bogus charity collections launched by govt 0

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 12 Feb 2010

The government has today launched a public awareness campaign to help the public identify charity collections from commercial operations.

NCVO holds talks on music licensing change

NCVO holds talks on music licensing change 2

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 20 Jan 2010

NCVO met with music licensing body PPL last week to discuss its concerns over forthcoming licensing charges for charities that play recorded music in public.

Sales up, donations down at Oxfam shops

Sales up, donations down at Oxfam shops 0

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 12 Jan 2010

Donations to Oxfam shops have dropped by more than 12 per cent for the second year running, while the charity reports an increase in sales of donated items.

Charity book burning: myth or reality?

Charity book burning: myth or reality? 1

Fundraising | 6 Jan 2010

The press are in a snow flurry over the UK’s favourite water-cooler subject – the weather. From panic-buyers emptying superstores to revellers being trapped all night in pubs by snow and the UK running out of gas by Sunday, the media has milked every angle of the cold snap possible. But the Metro’s charity angle has taken it a bit too far, even by tabloid standards.

Clothes-collection company cleared of deception

Clothes-collection company cleared of deception 0

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 2 Dec 2009

The advertising regulator has rejected a complaint against a company asking for clothes donations to help the needy, in an adjudication that has been opposed by the Fundraising Standards Board.

New charity shops honcho named

New charity shops honcho named 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 8 Oct 2009

The Association of Charity Shops has appointed Warren Alexander at its new chief executive. Alexander will begin in November, having previously been chief executive of Core, a charity which funds research into gut and liver disease.

Astronaut Ice Cream  Anyone?

Astronaut Ice Cream Anyone? 0

Fundraising | 23 Sep 2009

Never knowing what treasures you might find in your local charity shop is one of the joys of venturing in, but a 1970s condom, a set of false teeth and live rifle ammunition go way beyond most people’s expectations. Amongst the standard donations of books, clothes and general bric-a-brac, veterinary charity PDSA has discovered some rather strange items in its pink collection sacks in the last year.

Charity shops defy recession with profit increase

Charity shops defy recession with profit increase 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 10 Sep 2009

Charity shops increased their profits by 4.1 per cent in the past year, according to the Charity Shops Survey 2009 While the gross income of the 69 shop chains in the sample fell by 3.1 per cent to £526.1m, their costs fell even further, by 4.9 per cent to £414.6m, leaving a collective profit of £111.5m. Charity shops have now increased their profits for four years running, and in eight of the last 11.

Charity shops threatened with superglue attacks for early Xmas card sales

Charity shops threatened with superglue attacks for early Xmas card sales 0

Fundraising | Vibeka Mair | 2 Sep 2009

Charity shops run by Oxfam, Mind and PDSA have been threatened with superglue attacks on their premises if they put Christmas cards on sale before 1 November. A group calling itself the 'Movement for the Containment of Xmas' has sent hand-delivered letters to three charity shops and a newsagent, located in the Leeds area, threatening to vandalise their premises if they carry on selling Christmas cards out of season.

Parasitic charity shops now responsible for potholes

Parasitic charity shops now responsible for potholes 4

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 7 Aug 2009

Charity shops are now accused of bulldozing their way into neighbourhoods and impoverishing them as a result of their own failures. Right on the heels of attacks for being too successful.

Who are we missing at fundraising conferences?

Who are we missing at fundraising conferences? 6

Fundraising | Jonathon Grapsas | 4 Aug 2009

As someone who does the conference rounds a lot, I too am constantly frustrated and let down at the lack of charity representation, particularly from 'small shops'. I read a great piece in the latest edition of Canadian Fundraising & Philanthropy's e-newsletter about Canadian fundraising stars missing from conference stage. Hot on the heels of an earlier post of mine endeavouring to make conferences really useful, this caught my eye.

Shop volunteer misses the point

Shop volunteer misses the point 1

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 28 Jul 2009

Charity shops may be finding it increasingly hard to find quality stock, but one went too far when it sold a walking stick belonging to one of its volunteers. Irene Drane, who works at the Macmillan Cancer Support charity shop in Perth, had bought the new cane after a hip replacement operation, only for a fellow volunteer to sell it thinking it was a donation.

Action for Children charity shops saved from closure

Action for Children charity shops saved from closure 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 27 Jul 2009

The 36 Action for Children charity shops earmarked for closure have been saved after medical research and support charity DebRA agreed to take them over.

Oxfam looks to books in fundraising and awareness drive

Oxfam looks to books in fundraising and awareness drive 0

Fundraising | 15 Jul 2009

Oxfam has launched a major high-end literary push to raise its profile, and income, as a book retailer. On July 4, the charity, which is the largest second-hand book seller in Europe, released a collection of short stories by top authors and launched its first annual literary festival, Bookfest. It is hoping the initiatives will stem the decline in charity shop donations and increase the £1.6m it already earns from book sales each month.

Trading places: Improving the stock in charity shops

Trading places: Improving the stock in charity shops 0

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 9 Jul 2009

Can a three-week project in a London shopping centre help change national attitudes to charity shopping and be replicated elsewhere? The charity shop that popped up in West London’s plush Westfield shopping centre last month was no average charity shop. In addition to a consistent flow of designer label stock – some brand new, some donated by fashionistas - and sporadic appearances from celebrity volunteers, the ‘living and giving’ shop counted Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Dior among its neighbours.

Retail therapy: The aftermath of the Mary Queen of Charity Shops experiment

Retail therapy: The aftermath of the Mary Queen of Charity Shops experiment 0

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 9 Jul 2009

Millions watched retail expert Mary Portas transform a Save the Children charity shop in Orpington in a recent television series, but what happened after the camera crew left? Lucy Harvey reports. Conventionally, a charity shop is not the final destination for a tour bus. Day-trippers might pop-in as they search for a high street cuppa en route to an attraction, but they don’t tend to be the focus of a trip. Until now that is.

Out with the old?

Out with the old? 7

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 10 Jun 2009

Retail expert Mary Portas has revamped a Save The Children charity shop in Kent, transforming its fortunes but upsetting a few volunteers along the way. So who's right?

Freeserve founder frustrated at charity inaction

Freeserve founder frustrated at charity inaction 0

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 1 Jun 2009

The former founder of Freeserve has criticised charities for being too slow to respond to fundraising opportunities presented to them. Ajaz Ahmed recently launched JumbleAid.com, a not-for-profit auction website which works just like eBay except all the money raised goes to charity instead of the seller. People list items for sale and specify which charity they want to donate the proceeds to – there are more than 25,000 on the JumbleAid database. The money is collected by the Charities Trust, gift aided where possible, and distributed to the charities.

Clothing donation scams threaten charity shop income and trust

Clothing donation scams threaten charity shop income and trust 0

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 29 Apr 2009

Charities reliant on clothing donations are being hit by companies posing as charities and commercial organisations taking goods as part of legitimate, but often exploitative, relationships with charities. Trading Standards in South Devon has seized a truckload of leaflets from a now-dissolved company, W&W Help Ltd, claiming to be a charity collecting clothing for the poor of Eastern Europe, while the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is considering its options regarding Homeless Children Limited, a company which has distributed clothing appeal leaflets using the name ‘Children’s Rainbow Trust Limited’.

Shops chief leaves

Shops chief leaves 1

Fundraising | 7 Apr 2009

The chief executive of the Association of Charity Shops has announced she is stepping down as the organisation steps up lobbying for changes to gift aid. Lekha Klouda (pictured front left), who has been with the ACS since its establishment in 1999, plans to retire at the end of the year.

Retail therapy

Retail therapy 0

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 1 Mar 2009

Technology is driving huge change in all areas of operations within civil society organisations, and charity shops are no exception, finds Tania Mason The last year or two has seen the widespread adoption of a new income stream for many charities – the collection of gift aid on items donated to shops. Several of the bigger shop chains have embraced this technology, including Help the Aged, Sense, British Heart Foundation, and Sue Ryder Care.

Recycling website raises cash for charities

Recycling website raises cash for charities 0

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 1 Mar 2009

A website has been launched with the aim of raising money for charity while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. JumbleAID.com, which its creators say combines the ethos of Freecycle with the technology of eBay, allows individuals to post their unwanted items online free of charge, while nominating the charity they wish to support and their target donation. Prospective buyers then indicate how much they are willing to donate to the charity in return for the item.

Oxfam enlists celebrity fashionistas to promote its stores

Oxfam enlists celebrity fashionistas to promote its stores 0

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 26 Feb 2009

Oxfam is launching a fashion-led publicity campaign to promote its charity shops as beacons of cutting-edge style and sustainable shopping. Even touting the new campaign, SUSTAIN ME, as having a ‘Spring/Summer launch’, the advertisements feature imagery by top fashion photographer Rankin, and feature celebrities including models Heidi Klum and Jourdan Dunn (pictured), actor Jaime Winstone, television presenter Cat Deeley and singer Natalie Imbruglia.

Charity shops have lost the plot

Charity shops have lost the plot 11

Fundraising | Vibeka Mair | 4 Feb 2009

I always thought charity shops were meant to be value for money. Recently, however, I've been shocked with the prices at local stores. At one charity retailer, who will go unnamed, the lowest price for an item of clothing has been around £6 for ages, and books go for £3 - £4

Christmas is for giving - and giving back

Christmas is for giving - and giving back 0

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 27 Jan 2009

Christmas can be a stressful time and many of us will be glad to have got through it without any mishaps, but Margaret Gardiner of Tonypandy in Wales has more reason to be relieved than most. She feared she had ruined her family's Christmas when she mistakenly took a bag containing hundreds of pounds worth of presents to a charity shop. But the Church Charity shop in nearby Penygraig saved the day by writing out a cheque for £200 to replace the clothes and games meant for her two grandchildren, aged 14 and eight.

Shoppers turn to ethical gifts

Shoppers turn to ethical gifts 0

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 6 Jan 2009

Christian Aid has revealed that its ethical gift shop, Present Aid, saw sales in October that were up by 372 per cent on the same period last year. The shop received 506 orders in October 2007, compared to 2,391 this year. Present Aid, which was created in 2004, anticipates that if the upward trend continues it will surpass last year’s total earnings of £2.1m ‘substantially’. A spokeswoman for the charity said there had been no increase in marketing compared to last year.

Economic downturn slows growth in charity income

Economic downturn slows growth in charity income 0

Fundraising | Becky Slack | 17 Sep 2008

Charities are already feeling the strain of the credit crunch, according to a new report by Cass Business School.

Age Concern opens charity shop at local tip

Age Concern opens charity shop at local tip 0

Fundraising | Gareth Jones | 12 Sep 2008

A branch of Age Concern has opened a charity shop at a rubbish dump in order to divert items away from landfill and back into the community. Age Concern Warwickshire won the tender to run the shop, situated at Hunters Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Rugby, after Warwickshire County Council refurbished the complex to increase its recycling capacity.

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