Charity shops have experienced a boom in shoppers searching for second-hand Christmas gifts amid the cost-of-living crisis, figures suggest.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has experienced its “biggest ever sales week” this December, while Barnardo’s, Age UK and Cancer Research UK have reported a rise in revenue over the festive period.
Although many people buy Christmas gifts from charity shops for ethical and environmental reasons, the results of recent surveys by several charities suggest the main driver of this year’s trend is financial.
Our first week in December 2022 set a record as our biggest ever sales week, with our shops and stores - along with our online channels like eBay - all performing significantly ahead of the same week last year— Allison Swaine-Hughes, British Heart Foundation
BHF’s retail director Allison Swaine-Hughes said the charity made record sales over one week this month.
She said: “Our first week in December 2022 set a record as our biggest ever sales week, with our shops and stores – along with our online channels like eBay – all performing significantly ahead of the same week last year.
“While sales of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories continued to perform ahead of last year, we also saw particularly strong sales in our home stores, with bedroom and dining being a highlight.
“Our sales in December, which follows a continued strong performance throughout 2022, show that customers want high quality pre-loved items that are of good value and good for the environment, too.”
Ms Swaine-Hughes added that a November survey of more than 2,000 people implied that one-third of Britons were adjusting their Christmas shopping to spend with charity retailers “due to the rising cost of living”.
Barnardo’s charity shops have recorded a 30% increase in sales revenue over the past two months compared with the same period last year.
Age UK stores have seen a 15% increase in average customer spend so far in 2022, while Cancer Research UK shops recorded a 13% rise in sales from April to November 2022 compared with the same period in 2021.
With so many feeling the pinch in recent months, we are seeing more shoppers in our stores across the UK looking for great value gifts— Mark Gregory, Barnardo's
The managing director for Barnardo’s Retail, Mark Gregory, said the charity is seeing increasing numbers of customers shopping for gifts.
“We know that this winter and the build-up to Christmas has already been incredibly tough for so many of the children, young people, and families that Barnardo’s supports, and we know that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting on our customers too,” he said.
“With so many feeling the pinch in recent months, we are seeing more shoppers in our stores across the UK looking for great value gifts.”
Cancer Research UK’s director of trading Julie Byard said the charity has recorded “a steady rise in sales in the run up to Christmas” reminiscent of “similar trends during times of recession”.
“Between April and November 2022, Cancer Research UK shops recorded a 13.1% rise in sales compared to the same period last year,” she said.
“During this period we also saw our highest quarterly sales figures on record.
“Although this isn’t solely due to the cost-of-living crisis, these sales reports do show a sizable shift in consumers wanting to make more affordable purchasing.”
Ms Byard said shoppers are “being driven to our stores by economic necessity” but there is also a “growing trend of consumers looking to make more environmentally informed shopping decisions”.
“Charity shops play an important role in extending the life cycle of thousands of products, including fashion garments, which would otherwise go to landfill,” she said.
Age UK said it was too early to report their December figures but retail director Nick Smith said the charity was “very grateful to our customers and donors” after seeing “encouraging sales” so far this month.
Vinted, an online marketplace for second-hand items, said the word “Christmas” has consistently appeared in users’ top five most-searched terms over the past few months.
The company added that a survey of 900 consumers in September suggested the top reason for buying second-hand gifts this year was “to save money” with the second most common reason being sustainability.
Charities are urging people to donate any unwanted Christmas presents to help them keep up with demand, raise funds and reduce waste.
