It’s coming up to the end of the year, a New Year and time for a change. Make space in your home by having a thorough declutter from top to bottom, especially If you have little ones who are expecting an influx of new things come Christmas.
Charity shops are some of the best places on the high street to get affordable, meaningful presents and gifts all year round. Maybe you’ll stumble upon a book you know was your partner’s favourite as a child. Or perhaps you’ll find a DVD of that film you saw years ago but can’t find it anywhere else? Charity shops are definitely the best place to find an affordable new wardrobe of outfits.
Donating to your local charity shop is becoming the go-to across the country for people wondering what to do with all of their unwanted things. It may be tempting to throw anything and everything in a bag and drop it off in front of the door when the shop is closed. However, before you load the car stop and read our piece on seven things charity shops want you to know.
1. Wash your clothes
Every year, thousands of tonnes of quality clothing is sent to landfill or recycled across the globe. What’s the cause of these clothes ending up wasted rather than sold? They weren’t cleaned before being donated. Splotches, stains, and marks that easily could be washed out are commonly found on donated clothing when processing.
Sadly, charity shops simply do not have the time, money or resources to launder their donations, meaning the marked clothing will end up thrown away or “ragged”. Different charity shops have their own procedures, although most will have a local company that will buy their rags by weight or bag, for processing to be recycled or landfill. By washing your clothes and checking for tears and rips before you donate, you can make sure that as much valuable clothing is sold as possible.
2. Everyone is trying their best
Anyone in the retail sector will tell you it’s not uncommon to experience difficult customers, be it verbal abuse or at worse, physical. Thankfully the latter is rare. This is no different to volunteers in charity shops. Volunteers aren’t there for a social club, they are there to do a job and have a right to do that job safe from the fear of abuse and rudeness.
Everyone working in the charity shop is doing everything they can to make sure that each customer has a positive experience in their shop because they genuinely enjoy doing the job, working with people, and making a difference.
3. Pants/socks/bras are unwanted
You would be surprised how many items of underwear charity shops receive in donations. It can be argued that this is for different reasons. For whatever reason, just know that it is not welcome by charity staff, who have to process and sift through them.
Plenty of charity shops on the high street will accept brand new, still-in-original-packaging undergarments such as socks and multipack underwear in original packaging. However, it is always worth asking the charity shop first. There are some dedicated charities that accept bras, such as Against Breast Cancer, seeking a vaccine against breast cancer.
4. Don’t complain about the prices
It is a fact that prices have risen from the days of “ANYTHING £1”. That is because like other businesses on the high street, a charity shop is a business. Charity shops have great expenses including rent, business tax (reduced), energy bills, shop maintenance and upkeep, waste management and more. Charity shops aren’t immune from the cost of living rising, and pricing reflects that.
Many charities will have their own pricing guides to work from, categorised by garment type and brand. That’s why you may see brands such as George at ASDA priced in the same range as Atmosphere at Primark and H&M. Next and Marks & Spencer may be paired together alongside Monsoon. Those chosen to price in charity shops know the difference between a polyester coat from Peacocks and a similar-looking coat from Barbour, and they will price accordingly. Charity shops are more affordable places to shop, but the shop is the charity, not the customer.
5. Ask what the shop doesn’t accept
Every year collectively, charities have to pay thousands of pounds in waste management, whether it’s through rag collection or general waste collection. Like everyone else, charities hate having to throw things away.
That’s why in an effort to reduce waste, time, and effort, charities would greatly appreciate it if you give them a call before you arrive to ask them what goods they are not accepting. It’s quicker and simpler to ask what a charity doesn’t accept than it is to ask what they do accept.
There are certain laws that could prohibit charity shops from accepting items such as electrical items with a plug, safety equipment, and baby equipment. Toys without the CE mark as also illegal to sell as they mean the toy is untested and could pose a hazard to children. An exception to this rule would be if it was an antique, such as an antique teddy bear. Although, this would have to be sold to adults as bric-a-brac, not to children as a toy to play with. This also means that handmade toys such as knitted toys, cannot be sold with the CE mark.
6. Don’t haggle
Charity shops are predominantly staffed by volunteers, people who have donated their time to help the charity fundraising. They are there to do a job, whether it’s processing clothes, working the till, dressing windows, keeping the shop tidy or anything else that may need doing. Volunteers do not have the authority to offer money off or discounts on goods.
Volunteers come from all walks of life, with different retail experiences, including no previous retail experience. Asking for a discount or haggling over the price can put the volunteer in a difficult position, especially if they don’t know what to say, without wanting to upset the customer.
If it is a big or expensive item such as furniture, the shop’s manager may be open to a discount at their own discretion. However, this should never be expected from the beginning and graciously handled if no discount is given.
7. Please Gift Aid if eligible.
If you meet the criteria of paying tax, you are more than likely eligible to Gift Aid your donations. Gift Aid means that for each £1 your donation makes, the charity can claim an extra £0.25p. As it is a tax matter, there are, of course, certain rules that donors and the charity must abide by. Any charity shop, regardless of cause, must abide by the same rules.
Each charity cause requires you to sign up for Gift Aid. Once you’ve done it in one branch, you do not have to do it again in another branch. You only have to give your contact details and will be given a specific number, usually on a card, that is specific to you. When your donations are processed, your goods will be given unique barcodes.
At the end of the tax year, you’ll receive an email or letter stating how much the charity was able to raise from the sale of your goods. Which makes the whole process worth it for that glow of the good you’ve done with no extra effort.