The Charity Retail Association will soon begin trialling initiatives to address the “very, very big threat” posed by bogus and commercial collectors to the profits and sustainability of charity shops.

The organisation will reveal at its annual conference next week that it has identified four areas of charity shop members concern, and will begin to test ways to address and improve in those areas.

CRA chief executive Warren Alexander told CivilSociety.co.uk that while reluctant to say categorically whether the quality and quantity of charity shop donations has fallen over this year, anecdotally members are reporting increasing instances of stolen stock.

Bogus and stolen collections, said Alexander, are a “very, very big threat” to the livelihoods of many charity shops in the UK.

Following a consultation with members which was sparked by last year’s AGM, the Charity Retail Association identified the top four issues facing charity shops: raising awareness of the importance of charity shop donations, improving collaboration between charities, ensuring compliance with the codes and developing innovative ways of finding quality stock.

In a statement released ahead of the conference, CRA chair David Cryer said: “Charity shops are facing huge challenges in securing the donated clothes and goods that they need. Bogus collectors and people offering to pay for bags of clothes are taking stock away from shops and presenting a real threat.”

Alexander added that while legal and legitimate, commercial rag and clothes collectors were also a concern of charities.

The CRA has developed four working groups looking at each of the issues it identified in its consultation. Each group will meet in the summer to assess priorities and develop trials to defend and expand the charity shop sector. Details of what these campaigns will look like are not yet confirmed.