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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Cancer Research UK will install a cloud-based electronic point-of-sale scheme to enable it to claim gift aid in its shops, in a bid to raise £18m over the next five years.
Oxfam is extending its use of new technology which allows shoppers to view the history of items, after an initial trial increased turnover in a Manchester shop by 41 per cent.
The Salvation Army's trading company SATCol has become the first textile recycler in the UK to employ SmartWater technology to forensically tag donated clothing to catch collection thieves.
Shelter Scotland has launched a new campaign through Foursquare which rewards visitors who check in at its Edinburgh shops.
Is cloud computing a must for hospice retailers?
Ian Tomlinson argues that hospices should be turning to cloud-based EPoS systems for their shops.
The Plunkett Foundation has created a membership scheme for the UK’s 255 community-owned shops and signed a deal with Ethecol Merchant Services to install a card-processing system in each one.
Oxfam has launched the first online wedding shop, offering a range of dresses and accessories.
The British Heart Foundation's new EPoS system has dramatically improved the management of its charity shops. Gareth Jones reports.
Going once, going twice: eBay tips for charities
eBay may have become a regular part of many individuals lives, but charities have something to gain from the online auction site too. Carrie Bienkowski explains how charities can use the site, and some tricks to make sure you get the best return on your stock.
Are charity retailers trying to run before they can walk by launching online stores? Civil Society's new charity shop blogger Debbie Attwood offers her thoughts on the unusual tack.
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.
The former founder of Freeserve has criticised charities for being too slow to respond to fundraising opportunities presented to them.
Retail therapy
Technology is driving huge change in all areas of operations within civil society organisations, and charity shops are no exception, finds Tania Mason.
A website has been launched with the aim of raising money for charity while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Free stuff
For the uninitiated, IT can be scary, intimidating, and expensive. But there are plenty of places charities and other civil society organisations can go for free or cheap advice, hardware and software. By Tania Mason
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