Retail business owners in Coulsdon, Greater London, have expressed concerns over rumours of a fourth charity shop opening in the town centre.

Amanda Davis, chairman of the Coulsdon Business Partnership spoke on behalf of local businesses who felt that three charity shops were enough and a fourth would not encourage consumers into the town. Davis said: “The problem is, there are enough charity shops in the area. Another one will not add anything. We need businesses that are going to bring footfall to the town. This will not.”

Local shop owner Annette O’Flynn went as far as stating that more charity shops would give the impression that Coulsdon is “run down”. She also claimed that competition between charity shops for the same stock would lower the overall quality of the goods on offer.

Wendy Mitchell, Charity Retail Association head of policy and public affairs said the alternative could be an empty store and that charity shops have many benefits to the community.

"They offer volunteering and job opportunities for local people. They often put their income directly back into the local community, investing in local services such as hospice care. They provide high-quality, lower-cost goods to those who most need them,” she said.

Coulsdon’s current charity shops are Scope, Cats Protection and the Garwood Foundation. No confirmation has been made that a store which is currently vacant in the town centre will become a charity shop and the potential charity involved has not yet been named.

Charity shops receive an 80 per cent cut in business rates and their numbers have increased by nearly 30 per cent in UK towns since 2007.