UK charity shops: insiders’ tips on getting the best bargains
“Thrifting” is soaring in popularity as the cost of living crisis bites, and it’s more sustainable, too. So how can you become a pro and grab bargains at charity shops?
Gone are the days of rummaging through musty, moth-eaten piles, as charity shops are scoring high on the retail landscape of favourable places to shop and snap up a great deal.
More than three-quarters of people in the UK are shifting towards preloved goods to save money, according to figures from SQLI Digital Experience.
“Inflation might be down but it’s still in double figures, which means people are still struggling with high prices and the monthly budget is front of mind. Browsing the local charity shop benefits the planet and our pockets,” Maike Currie, the head of content at Hargreaves Lansdown, says.
It is essential to stick to a budget, and the first step to ensuring you don’t overspend is to decide how much you can realistically spare. Once you have your final list of the items you need you can determine how much money you will allocate to your thrifting hunt.
Choosing your time of day to grab a bargain can work in your favour. While there’s no perfect day to bargain hunt in charity shops, some swear by shopping early on Monday and Tuesday. Employees tend to restock earlier in the week, as the weekends tend to be more crowded shopping days.
“I think that, generally, people tend to clear out unused items or declutter over the weekend, and I figure that they would drop them off on Sunday or early Monday,” says Jane De Ste Croix, an educational psychologist and regular charity shopper, who sets her budget at £20 maximum for her two-weekly charity shopping expeditions.
Most charity shops will be restocked on a regular basis, so it is worth visiting them as
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