Concerns for the charity retail sector
Charity shops are losing out on higher-value donations as growing numbers of people turn to resale platforms such as Vinted, eBay and Depop, new research suggests.
Almost two in five charity leaders with responsibility for shops say the quality of donated goods has fallen as online selling has become more popular.
Research by charity wealth manager Rathbones found 38% of senior executives at charities operating shops had noticed a decline in the quality of donations.
Around one in 10 said the fall had been significant.
A further 42% said donation quality had remained unchanged, while 18% reported receiving better-quality goods.
Separate research among people who donate to charity shops suggests the impact of online resale platforms is already changing giving habits.
Almost half, 49%, said their use of online selling sites had affected what they donated.
Around 21% said they were giving slightly less because they were keeping their best items to sell themselves.
A further 19% said the quality of what they donated had fallen significantly because charity shops were receiving only goods which had failed to sell online.
Around 9% said they had stopped donating goods to charity shops altogether and now only sold items online.
The findings raise concerns for a charity retail sector which generates hundreds of millions of pounds for good causes every year.
Figures cited by Rathbones show charity retail contributes around £300 million in profits annually.
More than 9,900 charity shops operate across the UK, employing around 24,900 people and relying on the support of more than 223,500 volunteers.
David Cox, director of charities at Rathbones, said: “Charity shops are an important volume of donated goods matters for the sector
“It is understandable that people may want to sell higher-value items online, particularly while household finances remain under pressure, but this research shows there can be a knock-on effect for charity retailers.
“The good news is that selling online and supporting charities do not have to be mutually exclusive.
“Donors can still give a portion of what they earn, use platform donation options where available, or continue donating items that charities can resell.
“Small choices can make a meaningful difference to charities that rely on retail income.”
