# Strong Q1 for charity retailers as sales rise 6.2%, figures show

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/06/05/strong-q1-charity-retailers-sales-rise-figures-show/
- Published: 2019-06-05T08:00:49+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The first quarter of 2019 saw an increase in charity shop sales, the Charity Retail
Association has reported.**

Its latest Quarterly Market Analysis Report shows that like-for-like income excluding
Gift Aid tax reclaims increased by 5.9% (6.3% including Gift Aid tax reclaims) with
customer sales up by 6.2% on a like-for-like basis from January-March 2018.

Sales growth was generally driven by the uplift in donated goods sales. According
to the [Charity Retail Association](https://www.charityretail.org.uk/) report, the
unexpectedly mild winter in February encouraged footfall, with some members launching
their Spring lines ahead of time which boosted their clothing sales. The good weather
in March also brought a strong surge in sales for several members, who highlighted
this month’s overall performance.

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Income from sales of donated stock to recycling merchants declined by 7.6% from 
January-March 2018, when this category saw an exceptionally strong growth of 17.2%
from the preceding year. The median average price of rag, at 42 pence per kilo for
members who participated in the QMA Q1 2019 survey, remains unchanged since October-
December 2018 but has decreased five pence compared with the first quarter of 2018.

Charity Retail Association Chief Executive, Robin Osterley, said:

> “The first quarter of this year has produced outstanding growth in the sector.
> Even taking into account the effect on sales due to the ‘Beast from the East’ 
> in the same period 12 months ago, charity shops continue to buck the high street
> trend that has seen well known commercial chains struggle. We hope this good news
> continues throughout the year for our members.”

 * **[Accreditation scheme launches for charity recyclers](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/09/11/accreditation-scheme-launches-for-charity-recyclers/)**(
   11 September 2019)
 * **[Campaign launches to encourage charity shop purchases this Christmas](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/11/09/campaign-launches-to-encourage-charity-shop-purchases-this-christmas/)**(
   9 November 2021)
 * **[Gift card for charity shops starts rollout](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/11/25/gift-card-for-charity-shops-starts-rollout/)**(
   25 November 2021)

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