Research shows that new goods and online sales are important for boosting charity business
A recent YouGov Report has found that although 51% of UK consumers buy items from charities only 38% of shoppers buy second hand items in-store at charity shops. A sizeable proportion of shoppers choose to use other channels.
- 7% bought a second-hand item from a charity stall at a local event/country show
- 4% bought second-hand item from a charity online site, including eBay and Amazon Marketplace
- 5% bought a second-hand item from a reseller on eBay who makes a donation to a charity.
A relatively high proportion of consumers also purchase new items from charities, while most do so through a shop (15%), a sizeable proportion of shoppers use other channels.
- 15% bought a brand new item from a shop operated by a charity
- 5% bought a brand new item from a charity stall at a local event/country show
- 5% bought a brand new item from a charity’s online site
- 3% bought a brand new item from a charity’s mail order catalogue.
However, just under half (49%) of UK consumers are not using any channels to purchase either new or second-hand goods from a charity.
Commenting on the findings, James McCoy, YouGov SixthSense Research Director said: “It is evident that charities need to work harder to ensure that what they have to offer is effectively marketed to a wider audience. Charities are well placed to use the internet as a means of offering new merchandise to their supporters, but selling second-hand items online is more complex in terms of site maintenance and fulfilment.”
Total sample size was 2,137 nationally representative UK adults aged 16+. Fieldwork was undertaken between 26th – 30th January.
Click here to find out more about the Charity Shop Retailing report
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