More than a shop…
This week the Charity Retail Association launches it’s annual ‘More than a Shop’ campaign. This campaign celebrates charity shops up and down the length of the country demonstrating that they offer so much more than the regular high street shopping experience! Below, Joanna Hall, Director of Fundraising, Retail & Communications at St Margaret’s Hospice, shares her reflections on why this campaign resonates with our work here in Somerset.
Unlocking Social Value
People are our greatest asset at St Margaret’s, and no more so is that clearer than in our 31 shops dotted around the county. Their commercial success is driven by the managers, sales assistants and army of volunteers who take huge pride every day to deliver a first-class customer experience. Because of their dedication and professionalism, as well as their creativity and tenacity, St Margaret’s shops have been making a tangible difference to people’s lives for almost 40 years, with our first shop opening its doors in Taunton back in 1987.
Yet unlike most mainstream retailers, charity shops also create enormous social value for our communities, and with 10,000 charity shops in operation in the UK, they are a huge force for good. They are not just great places to pick up a bargain or somewhere to ease your conscience by donating your unwanted items instead of them going to landfill. What charity shops like St Margaret’s offer, is a unique and special experience that goes beyond a commercial transaction that results in sales and profit. Yes, the income generated is the core purpose of these shops, and in the case of St Margaret’s a hugely valuable income stream that last year contributed approximately £2 Million directly towards hospice care in Somerset – but what charity shops can also offer is a focal point for local neighbourhoods at a time when the high street and society is struggling.
High Street Champions
As well as being a valuable injection to the local economy, we provide enriching employment and meaningful volunteering opportunities. We help people get back into the workforce after a period of absence for whatever reason; perhaps a mum returning to work after having kids, or a student finding their feet in the world of work, or indeed an ex-offender who is looking to rebuild their life. Charity shops provide a fertile environment that can offer these opportunities, while remaining commercial and profitable. In Somerset alone during the first three months of 2024, over 8,500 hours of work has been provided through the Community Payback Scheme, where ex-offenders are able to complete community service rather than receive a custodial sentence. Charities and charity shops are by far the biggest providers of these opportunities and at St Margaret’s we are proud of our role in enabling people to re-engage with society and get that foot back on the ladder.
Wrap Around Care for Our Community
For our volunteers, of which we have approximately 600, their local shop often holds a very special place in their heart. Many come to us after they have lost a loved one, and they find solace spending time in the shop, as well as companionship and often lifelong friendships are born. Many will have donated the clothes and items of their loved one, and then go on to find that the shop takes on a new meaning for them, as they transition through their grief. And for many, the shops become their new family, where they know they will receive a warm welcome and smiling face, and for some it’s the only social interaction they will have during the day or that week. For me this is an important extension of our wrap around care as a hospice – it’s not clinical care but its care nonetheless and is the continuation of what make St Margaret’s so valuable to our community. Equally some family members will always donate their pre-loved goods to St Margaret’s as a way of saying thank you for the care their loved one received, knowing that they are paying that gratitude forward so others in turn can benefit from St Margaret’s care in the future.
Something for Everyone
And there are many who come into our shops, for no other reason than they are enticed in by our wonderful window displays and creative merchandising. Unlike mainstream retail, we must deal with the unexpected and we welcome that. We don’t trade in high volumes of consistent stock, we trade in the unique, which makes it desirable. We don’t know what will be donated and that makes our jobs challenging, but it also enables us to curate styles and trends that are tailored to our customers, our locality, and our differing cultures. What works for our shop in Dulverton, won’t work for our shop in Bridgwater for example and that’s OK. St Margaret’s charity shops can mean many things to many people.
A Sustainable Alternative
And while charity shops operate at a hyperlocal level, the impact that their business model has goes far beyond and helps tackle one of society’s greatest challenges – climate change. The need to recycle, re-use and re-purpose is increasingly being accepted as a key part of how society can combat consumerism and support more sustainable practices, which in turn will help reverse some of the challenges posed by climate change. Charity shops have for decades been at the forefront of the green agenda but are now only becoming more acceptable and dare I say it ‘cool’ among certain audiences. In cities and university towns, students have always seen the financial benefit of charity shops. But today younger people, who are often some of the fiercest advocates of green living, are recognising the environmental benefit of rejecting fast fashion, and turning to sustainable fashion, which can be dressed up as wearing vintage too!
In Somerset we lack big cities, but we recognise that we need to start appealing to the next generation, while not alienating our core customer base and this will be a big strategic focus going forward. And it’s not just all about clothes! Through St Margaret’s fabulous furniture shops, you will find an incredible range of sustainable and affordable furniture and homewares – perfect for starting your first home, with interiors that don’t have to cost the earth.
So, as you can see charity retail offers so much more than being just a shop. Charity shops can help to provide indirect solutions and services, that underpin thriving and vibrant communities, where people can come together to collaborate with a shared purpose and ultimately advocate for a better society.
Pop into your local St Margaret’s shop and see for yourself. You may be surprised.