UK retailers raised £540mn for good causes in 2022/23
Melanie May | 24 October 2023 | News
The 2022/23 financial year saw UK retailers and their customers raise £540mn for good causes, according to a report by the British Retail Consortium.
Supporting Charities, Communities and Customers is the British Retail Consortium’s first analysis of UK retailers’ charitable giving, with 34 retailers from across the industry taking part. They include Aldi, Amazon, Co-op, M&S, Starbucks, Tesco and Waitrose.
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As well as raising £540mn, the report also found that in 2022/23:
- Retailers raised £200mn for good causes through fundraising, with an additional £150mn donated directly by the businesses themselves.
- A total of 69mn meals and £76mn worth of products were donated to charities and organisations supporting those in need.
- Colleagues across the industry volunteered 1.7mn hours of time supporting retail community programmes.
- Colleagues also donated £20mn through payroll donation schemes.
Supporting Ukraine was a top cause in 2022, with UK retailers donating both cash and emergency goods. Many retailers also set up fundraising efforts so that customers could offer their support, often matching donations to amplify the impact. Overall, tens of millions of pounds were donated to this cause.
The report also looks at micro-donations facilitated by Pennies, revealing that since launching in 2010, over 185mn microdonations have been made through Pennies, raising over £44mn for more than 850 charities in the UK and further afield.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:
“It is fantastic to see the scale of support that retailers, colleagues and customers have given to good causes in the last year, despite the tough economic landscape. Whether fundraising in stores & online, making salary donations, or volunteering time for local projects, retailers are helping their communities in a wealth of ways.
“New micro-donation technology is making it even easier for customers to support good causes, while the industry’s own charity – The Retail Trust – is delivering a wide range of services and training to support the welfare of everyone working in retail. Retailers’ focus has always extended beyond the bottom line. They recognise the opportunity that the scale of the industry presents in having a wider impact on our society and this report shows they are making a real difference right across the country.”
Alison Hutchinson CBE, Chief Executive of Pennies, commented:
“Well done to the BRC for preparing and releasing this report so we can bring a spotlight to the fantastic support the retail sector has for the voluntary sector. At Pennies we are welcoming a growing number of new partners across all retailing channels. Indeed, we have seen digital micro-donations grow by over 45% year on year despite the challenging economic climate showing the generosity of retailers and their customers.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.