UK charity shops sales suffer despite lockdown ‘decluttering’
UK charity shops sales suffer despite lockdown ‘decluttering’. The lockdown has devastated charities which rely on shops for a significant chunk of their income. BHF said it lost around £60m in sales during the lockdown period, while Barnardo’s said: “We are forecasting a loss of £30m in shop income for this year.” Just keeping the shops safely closed – and paying some landlords – during the lockdown period cost Oxfam £5m a month.
Despite their humble image, Britain’s charity shops rank alongside the major high street chains as huge enterprises in their own right. BHF employs 3,500 paid staff, all furloughed during the lockdown but now back working, alongside 18,000 volunteers. Oxfam has around 1,000 paid staff and 22,000 volunteers, Cancer Research 1,900 paid staff and 11,000 volunteers.
Reopening has been hampered for some by volunteers needing to shield themselves from constant contact with the public. Oxfam said: “We are down by 40% on volunteer numbers, with many feeling uncomfortable or unable to return. We desperately need more volunteers, and have launched a recruitment campaign, including volunteers who can work from home.”