Op Shops More Popular Than eBay

People now prefer to buy from charity shops rather than online marketplaces like eBay, new UK research shows.

The data, released by consultancy nfpSynergy, also shows that four in five people have visited a charity shop in the last year, up from two thirds a decade ago.

The study asked 1,000 people whether they would prefer to buy a range of items from a charity shop or an online marketplace. Charity shops ranked higher for almost every kind of product, including books, clothes, DVDs and jewellery.

Researchers also found that on average, 54 per cent of the public would buy the items from charity shops compared to 40 per cent who would turn to online marketplaces.

The data shows that 84 per cent of people would rather buy books from charity shops compared to 53 per cent from online marketplaces. The results are similar for adults’ and children’s clothes (62 per cent and 45 per cent for adults’, and 45 per cent and 35 per cent for children’s), CDs, DVDs and music, (73 per cent and 53 per cent) and jewellery or antiques (41 per cent and 40 per cent). Of the 16 items asked about, only food and toiletries would see more people heading for the online market.

People were also asked if they had visited a charity shop in the last 12 months and 81 per cent said they had, up from 68 per cent in 2004.

Despite many describing charity shops as old-fashioned and overpriced (15 per cent and 12 per cent), plenty of people saw them as exciting and fashionable (12 per cent and 13 per cent).

"Charity shops are often accused by the media and retailers with vested interests of 'taking over the high street'. What our research shows is that the British public love charity shops and see them as an important part of their community,” nfpSynergy’s Head of Data Analysis, Cian Murphy, said.

“The fact that people would rather go to their local charity shop than go online for most things shows the importance of charity retail as a sector and a presence on our high street. Charities should be proud of their shops, not apologetic."

In Australia, the Prime Minister’s wife Margie Abbott has revealed herself as a regular op-shopper during this year’s National Op Shop Week according to the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations Inc. (NACRO)

"Op shopping is something that the Abbott family has enjoyed for many years, and may I say, we do it very well," she said.

NACRO said Australia’s charity op shops play vital roles in Australian communities.

“Parting with out-of-fashion, wrong size or no-longer-needed but still good quality clothes and household goods is so much easier when you know you are helping others less fortunate in your community when you donate to your local charity op shop,” the NACRO website said.