How to raise profits in a charity shop

p00hsticks

Miss_Heartilly wrote: »

I have put a few prices up on the really good stuff, ie designer stuff. Like the louis vuitton handbag we got in, that I sold for £15 it's worth about £400. The bag was in perfect condition as well, didn't look used at all. I know some may have charged more, but some customers where even rolling there eyes at the £15.

I'd be extremely annoyed if I donated such a bag to charity and then found out it had only raised £15, however much I supported the charity in question.

If you only charge cheap prices then does this have an impact on the quality of items being donated ?

Cyclamen

I am commenting from a shoppers and donators perspective. I like a rummage in a charity shop and our town has 9.

There are four shops i rarely go in.
1) has very dirty windows, grubby paint and an awkward doorway with twin narrow doors and no easy way to hold them open for my wheelchair, this would also affect babies prams.

2) The other is a lovely shop but has difficult access as its in the middle of a roundabout with no drop curb.. I visited once and it was so clean, welcoming and well set out I'd enjoy a look again. So not a solvable issue for them.

3) The biggest shop is an 'outlet/seconds' store it takes the stuff the other shops in its brand and others cant sell. It is well set out but there is s much low quality low priced tut I just don't go in. The stock has been picked over in other branches. I wonder if you're lowest pricing n the town gives this impression

4) This is a personal gripe... its a disability based charity shop that supports people n wheelchairs but is so tightly packed and overstocked that i can't get in easily in a wheelchair.

What I look for

1) Somewhere who can collect donations if 've got 3 or more bags.
2) staff who are friendly, smile and say thank you if you give a donation.
3) a range of prices..surely if ts all £1 its all low quality or leftovers.. I know thats not true but my mind thinks like that
4) clear pricing
5) items of clothing sorted type and then by size with clear coloured labels.
6) A fair price for things I have donated.. i have seen my items in a few of the shops and have been pleased with their pricing.. i'd be less inclined to donate a 'new with tags' item I could sell myself on ebay if similar were only going for a £1 in a charity shop.
7) topical and new shop windows.. why would i think the stock has changed if the same display is still in the window?

I do respond to requests for donations.. i am wary of the bags through the door that only give a % to a charity..but the real bags that take all the donations into local shops I always have a rummage for. Signs asking donations in a window prompt me to have a look at home.

They take watering and care but do you have any volunteers who would grow some plants for you to sell?

ComicGeek

p00hsticks wrote: »

I'd be extremely annoyed if I donated such a bag to charity and then found out it had only raised £15, however much I supported the charity in question.

If you only charge cheap prices then does this have an impact on the quality of items being donated ?

I really can't see why people would donate high cost items to charity shops, they're just not set up for selling these. Much better to sell the item yourself and then donate the money raised.

00ec25

ComicGeek wrote: »

I really can't see why people would donate high cost items to charity shops, they're just not set up for selling these. Much better to sell the item yourself and then donate the money raised.

most (but apparently not the Op's) charity shops are very well set up for selling high value items. Whilst it is true that not every volunteer is a trained antique expert, most shops will ensure that anything with even the remotest potential for high value is seen by someone who does know what they are doing or can use the internet to check.

In such cases charity shops have a slick process for selling such items at auction - or at least the major charities that I have worked with do...

fraserbooks

I volunteer in a local charity shop and we have a daily turn over of about 300 pounds so 75 pounds a day is very low and probably just about covers your expenses even if you and your manager don't take a salary.
Do you make sure all your customers know what the charity does?People are more likely to buy if they support your aims. Do you do gift aid?It can add 25% to takings. Do you have ways of recycling excess donations? You can raise money from textiles, books, used postage stamps, foreign coins, printer cartridges. Look around for shops that buy computer games. They will give you more than a pound for current titles in the right format. I also think you need to raise your
prices. If you have an average price of Two pounds you will only need to sell half as much.

Selling toys and children's clothes will attract young mums. We have a couple of volunteers who turn any donations of wool into children's jumpers. A new rail or a new goods shelf with higher prices is likely to be popular. We charge half the shop price for new goods. Every thing needs to be clean. We sort clothes into colour and size.

MrJones1

There are different things that you can do to increase the profitability of the charity shop.

1. Do some research. Visit other charities in your town and look at the things that work for them. It can be everything from sorting their clothing by colour to what type of hangers they use. Maybe you also find
out that you could diversify the stock. Right now the charity shop mostly sells items for £1 each. Maybe you find out that the other charities sells furniture and sports equipment with success. Therefore, it's important that you check what type of items that sell well on the market, so you can implement it in your charity shop.

2. Create a strong image and brand. Do people know what your charity contribute to? To make your charity known you have to do marketing campaigns. You could invest in a website, make advertising on Social Media, spread leaflets etc. There could also be sports teams that could wear your brand on their tops as a sponsorship agreement.

3. Look at more options than just selling. You can host fundraising events, which will contribute to the charity's economy. Some examples of fundraising events are auctions, concerts and car washing.

At last I want to wish you good luck. Feel free to ask if you have more questions.