# Resale sites hit charity shop donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/09/09/resale-sites-hit-charity-shop-donations/
- Published: 2026-09-09T15:59:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Charity shops are losing their best donated stock to online resale platforms, 
according to new research from Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading charity wealth
managers.**

## Executives report a fall in the quality of donations

Nearly two in five (38%) senior executives at charities that run shops say the quality
of donations has fallen since the rise of Vinted, eBay and Depop. Around one in 
ten describe the drop as significant.

In contrast 42% report no change, while nearly one in five (18%) say the items they
receive have actually improved.

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## Half of donors say online selling has changed what they give

Rathbones also surveyed people who give items to charity shops. Around half (49%)
said their use of online sellers had affected what they donate.

Roughly a fifth (21%) reported a slight drop, keeping their best items back to sell
online themselves. A further 19% said the quality of the clothes they donate is 
significantly lower, because they now give charity shops only what will not sell
elsewhere. Around 9% said they had stopped donating to charity shops altogether 
and now sell online instead.

![Clothes on racks and Sense balloons, as a man looks in the charity shop](https://
wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2021/04/sense-charity-shop-1024x682.jpg)

**David Cox**, Director of Charities at Rathbones, said:

> “[Charity shops](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/charity-shops/) are an important
> source of income for many charities, so any shift in the quality or 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](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/donated-goods/)
> that charities can resell. Small choices can make a meaningful difference to charities
> that rely on retail income.”

## What is at stake

Charity retail contributes **around £300 million a year** in profit to the sector,
across **more than 9,900 shops**. Those shops employ **around 24,900 staff** and
are supported by **more than 223,500 volunteers**.

The findings put a number on something charity retailers have described anecdotally
for several years. The problem is not a fall in the volume of donations so much 
as a fall in their value, as donors sort their wardrobes with a resale app open.
For shops that rely on a small number of higher-value items to carry the margin 
on everything else, that shift matters rather more than the number of bags coming
through the door.

Research was commissioned by Rathbones Group, via independent research agency PureProfile,
to interview 100 senior charity executives, including board directors, finance directors,
investment managers and investment directors during July 2026.

Additional research on donors’ attitudes was commissioned by Rathbones Group via
independent research agency PureProfile of 1,000 UK adults during July 2026.

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