Economic Downturn Boosts Charity Shop Trade

Charity shops throughout Northern Ireland are witnessing unprecedented demand as the economic climate has toughened, according to new research from Yell.com - the online service from Yellow Pages.

Analysis by Yell.com's data experts, who examine the search habits of its millions of users, have found that searches for charity shops have seen a staggering 49% rise in Northern Ireland in the last year, as growing numbers of people turn to the shops to for bargain-priced clothes, furnishing and leisure items.

The experience of Hilary Scott, Shops Co-ordinator with the Ulster Cancer Foundation, exemplifies this new trend.

Hilary manages 11 shops across Northern Ireland and has plans to add to that number in the near future. Hilary, who has worked for the Foundation for eight years, explained the changes evident in the last year.

"We're seeing many new customers in our stores every day and our customer base is expanding rapidly. We sell everything from furniture and books to toys and clothes and it’s a challenge keeping up with demand.

"Our customer profile has changed considerably in recent months and we're delighted to be seeing so many new faces in our stores for the first time, including young professionals.

"There has been a huge increase in people buying books, while children’s toys and games are also very popular. The recent snap of cold weather saw our winter coats, scarves and gloves fly off the shelves," she explained.

Hilary welcomed the business boost: "It is wonderful to see our shops so fabulously busy. We stock many quality high street brands providing customers with excellent value for money and there’s the added feel good factor of knowing that every purchase is helping someone else.

"We just need to ensure that people are aware we value their donations greatly especially as we try to keep pace with this new surge in popularity," she concluded.

Meanwhile, Helen Stevenson, Chief Marketing Officer at Yell.com, said: "Yell.com is the first place for many people looking for a new shop, business or service. As we all deal with the reality of the credit crunch, our data has revealed an interesting insight into just one of the ways shoppers across Northern Ireland are making their money go further at the moment."

(BmcC)