Charity shops: a classification by merchandise mix

Abstract

Little attention has been paid to the evolution of charity retailing. A recent upturn in interest results from an increase in the number of charity shops in operation and their increasingly professional management. Charity retailing has expanded and developed over the past decade and the rapid expansion in numbers in the 1980s has heightened interest in them, although they do not feature as a sector in their own right in retail statistics. Explores the development of charity shops and suggests a three‐fold category classification. The definition of charity trading relies largely on the mix of the merchandise being sold and this mix determines the three categories of charity retailing. The classification highlights trading implications of technology and competition which in turn affect volunteers, customers, other charities and established retailers alike.