A new online clothes retailing scheme which allows charities to benefit from the sale of clothes donated by supporters, has claimed its nine-month pilot was a success and the system will now launch properly in the autumn.

The pilot scheme involved Click Collection picking up clothes bags from donors, who could choose from a group of seven charities which they wished to support, and reselling the goods through its website and ebay shop. The trial ran from May 2012 to February 2013.

Click Collection charges the charities a 5 per cent fee. The trial's result was a 36.9 per cent average profit to the charities after administrative costs were deducted - 12.5 per cent higher than the 24.4 per cent benchmark which the scheme took from the Charity Finance Charity Shops Survey 2012. Additionally while the Shops Survey figures included gift aid, Click Collection's results did not - though donors will be able to add gift aid once the scheme launches properly.

David Alder, the company’s director, told civilsociety.co.uk that the system is aimed primarily at charities which do not at present have a retail arm, but could also be utilised by those who already use bricks and mortar shops. 

Click Collection has published a full report on the results entitled From Rags to Greater Riches, which is on sale to UK registered charities, with all profits going to Action on Bladder Cancer.

The report admits that efforts to sell through Click Collection's own online shop "largely failed" but sales of items listed on its eBay shop were much more successful.  An annual target of £20 per donor "looks very achievable", it added.

Following the pilot, Alder now plans to launch the platform in the autumn.

The Charity Finance Charity Shops Survey 2013 will be released in October.

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