Our charity shops provide Julian House with important income which helps to fund our projects and services. They also help to encourage the recycling of pre-loved items, as well as providing an enjoyable shopping experience.
Charity shops are vital not only to provide us with valuable income to ensure that all our services can run smoothly, but also to serve their communities. Charity shops provide essential low-cost items to members of the public and many people relay on them to be able to find cheap, good quality clothes and items.
The environmental impact of charity shop is also very significant, it is thought that the fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, so giving clothes and other items a second chance rather than buying new go towards all those small changes that can help our environment.
We’ve been chatting to Jolene our Charity Shop Manager, to find out some of the big dos and don’ts of Charity shop donations.
What are some of the things you have to check when receiving donations of clothes?
When we receive donations, we must check that the item is saleable, we are looking if it’s clean, undamaged, and safe to sell. We get a lot of items that are beyond sellable, so a lot of our time is taken up finding items that we can sell.
What are some of the main reasons items are unsuitable for sale?
The main reason is its dirty or damaged- a lot of people don’t realise, but we do not have access to a washing machine to clean clothes. We generally don’t repair items, unless it’s a simple repair and the item is really worth saving. We get lots of bric-a-brac items, including pots and pans that still have food cooked into them, broken or chipped China and shoes with holes in!
What are some of the best things you have been donated?
We do gets lots of great items donated too. We have lots of designer items-including a Stell McCarthy coat, Mulberry handbags, and Prada shoes. We have lots of rare, interesting books for sale via our ebay shop too.
What are the best-selling items in the shops?
Ladies wear is always a great seller, so is men’s clothing but we just don’t get enough of it donated. Books are also really popular too.
You can find more information about our individual charity shops here.
