Social, environmental and financial impact

Charity retail statistics

From supporting communities to protecting the planet, charity shops drive positive lasting change.

Charity shops do all of this and more

Profit contribution of charity retail to parent charities

£387m in 2022/23 (1)

Social value generated by UK charity shops

£75.3 billion in Jan-Dec 2022 (8)

Average transaction value in a charity shop

£7.24 in October - December 2024 (sample 55 charities) (2)

Amount of textiles kept from being disposed of each year

339,000 tonnes in 2018/19 (3)

Number of people employed in charity retail in the UK

More than 26,100 FTE employees (4)

Number of charity shop volunteers in the UK

More than 187,200 volunteers (4)

Number of charity shops in the UK

Around 10,100 (5)

Proportion of income from new goods sales

14.1% in Oct-Dec 2024 (sample 52 charities) (2)

Sample information on average price per item (UK median prices)

Womenswear: £4.50 (6) Menswear: £5.01 (6)

Proportion of all retail units which are charity shops

3.3% (5)

Amount charity shops save councils in waste disposal charges

At least £31 million each year by diverting 339,000 tonnes of textiles away from landfill or incineration (7)

Sources
1. CRA’s QMA/shop data and Civil Society’s Charity Shops Survey data combined
2. CRA’s Quarterly Market Analysis (QMA) report
3. CRA’s Sources of Stock and QMA data combined
4. CRA’s Workforce report, August 2023
5. CRA’s “Find a shop” data, March 2025
6. CRA’s Average selling prices report, Jan-Dec 2022
7. CRA’s 2018/19 reports and WRAP’s Gate Fees 2019/20 Report
8. ‘The Value of Giving Back – The Social Value of Charity Shops’ report


Statistics from market research commissioned by a CRA member

From November 2024 report

74% of people agreed that charity shops help reduce waste within their community.

73% of people agreed that charity shops provide affordable goods for local residents.

68% of people agreed that charity shops encourage ethical shopping.

28% of people said donating to causes they feel connected to was the most important factor when donating.

13% of people said sustainability was the most important factor when donating.

12% of people said donating to shops close to where they reside was the most important factor in choosing where to donate.

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