A survey conducted by nfpSynergy has found that Britons prefer to shop at charity shops rather than using online marketplaces like eBay or Gumtree.

Some 1,000 people aged 16 years and older were asked whether they would prefer to buy a range of items from either a charity shop or an online marketplace. According to the survey results, charity shops ended up scoring higher than online marketplaces for almost every item, including clothes, DVDs and books.

The survey also found that 81 per cent of people said that they had been in a charity shop in the last year, up from 68 per cent of people who said they had visited a charity shop when the last survey was conducted in 2004.

The poll also quantified the perception people have of charity shops. While some said they felt that charity shops were 'old- fashioned' and 'overpriced' (15 per cent and 12 per cent respectively) a roughly equal proportion of those surveyed said that they were 'exciting' and 'fashionable' (12 per cent and 13 per cent).

"Charity shops are often accused by the media and retailers with vested interests of 'taking over the high street'. What our research shows is that the British public love charity shops and see them as an important part of their community,” said Cian Murphy, head of data analysis at nfpSynergy.

“The fact that people would rather go to their local charity shop than go online for most things shows the importance of charity retail as a sector and a presence on our high street. Charities should be proud of their shops, not apologetic."