Handy location the top reason for choosing to give to one charity shop over another
Melanie May | 13 August 2024 | News
84% of people donate regularly to charity shops, with handiness of location the top reason for choosing one over another.
64% of people said location was important, followed by supporting a charity (59%), good parking (45%) and shop experience (33%).
The figures come from Donation Nation, a new report from Shelter based on canvassing of 2,000 people across Britain.
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Shelter also found that donating to charity shops is more popular than selling unwanted items online. While 84% said they donate regularly in this way, 41% said they sell unwanted items on sites like Vinted, eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
Baby Boomers give most often
15% donate items once a month or more, and women are more likely to give than men, with 24% of women compared to 15% of men donating every three months. People aged 45+ are the most frequent donors, with 42% giving every three months or more.
Baby Boomers were the most prolific givers, with 94% of 55+ respondents saying donating is one of the ways they deal with unwanted items. Younger people are more likely to resell on online platforms, at 54% of 18-24-year-olds, compared to 29% of those aged 55+.
Supporting a good cause most important reason for giving
Supporting a good cause is important for 80% of those asked, with decluttering second (71%), followed by wanting to do their bit for the environment at 69%.
75% said they decluttered and dropped off whenever they felt the need, followed by 46% who made a trip to the charity shop following a spring clean. Moving house was the right time to donate for one in three (32%), followed by making room for Christmas presents (16%). Kids heading back to school or leaving for university motivated 7% of those asked.
Commenting, Shelter’s David Cryer, Assistant Director of Retail, said:
“Our charity shops are a really important part of our work, in terms of fundraising and engagement, and we are always keen to understand more about donating habits and how these have evolved over time.
“The last five years have presented some serious challenges, so it’s amazing to see how committed people are to donating with such frequency – especially in an age where selling online is popular – and to supporting the individual charities and campaigns that mean the most to them.”
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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.