There are around 10,000 charity shops in Britain, and every town of any size has several. They sell donated second-hand goods, are staffed mostly by volunteers, and the profits go to the charity that runs them.
No stigma at all
This is the part that surprises American visitors. Charity shopping in Britain is entirely normal and carries no social embarrassment. People of every income level browse them, and doing so is a perfectly ordinary way to spend a Saturday morning.
Part of this is environmental — buying second-hand is regarded as virtuous rather than reduced circumstances. Part is the treasure-hunt appeal. And part is simply that they are everywhere, so everyone goes in.
Why there are so many
Two structural reasons. Charity shops receive 80% mandatory relief on business rates, which makes marginal high street units viable for them when they are not for commercial retailers. And Gift Aid allows the charity to reclaim tax on the value of donated goods when the donor is a UK taxpayer, adding 25% to the proceeds of every sale.
The result is that when a shop closes on a struggling high street, a charity shop is often the only tenant able to take the space. Critics argue this crowds out commercial retail; defenders point out the alternative is usually an empty unit.
The big operators
Oxfam runs the most and pioneered the model in Britain, opening its first permanent shop in Oxford in 1948. British Heart Foundation specialises in furniture and electricals, with large warehouse-style stores. Cancer Research UK, Sue Ryder, Barnardo’s, Mind and local hospice shops make up much of the rest.
Where the good finds are
Regular charity shoppers will tell you the trick is geography: shops in wealthy towns and villages receive donations from wealthy wardrobes. Certain areas have a quiet reputation among people who know, and shops in university towns fill with excellent stock every June when students move out.
Oxfam runs dedicated bookshops and music shops, which are among the best places in Britain to browse for second-hand books.
Donating
Take clean, saleable goods to the counter during opening hours rather than leaving bags outside, which are frequently stolen or rained on. Tick the Gift Aid box if you pay UK tax — it adds a quarter to the value of everything you give at no cost to you.
Most shops cannot accept electrical items without safety testing, or duvets and pillows on hygiene grounds. They will take almost everything else.