Breast Cancer Care launched its first charity shop last month, in a pilot project which could lead the charity to open a chain of shops.
The first shop, in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, will be a trial project for the charity, which is one of the bigger brands in the sector not to run a shops chain already. The charity has said it is prepared to launch at a larger scale if the shop proves a success.
The first shop opened its doors on 22 May. A second shop will open soon in Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire.
The charity is one of several brand name organisations to consider launching a shops chain. Crisis opened its first shops recently, and Habitat for Humanity is considering launching a chain of out-of-town superstores.
The charity shops sector enjoyed spectacular growth over the past decade, until a sudden fall off last year. Profits rose by an average of 4 per cent per year in real terms over the last decade, before falling by 15 per cent last year.
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