Charity shop staff and volunteers
There are around 26,100 full-time equivalent paid staff and 187,200 volunteers in the UK.
Most charity shops have a paid shop manager, working with a team of volunteers who help to sort and sell stock, although a few charity shops are still entirely run by volunteers. Employing a manager and/or other staff can ‘pay for itself’, as these people can give more time, skills and attention to the role.
Dependent on shop chain size, there may also be area or regional managers and a head of retail. There is a growing number of specialist roles, such as online selling, warehousing, drivers and cafés. See more examples of job roles on Charity Retail Careers.
Do charity shops pay rent and tax?
Like any other business charity shops have to pay rent on their premises, and bills for services and utilities such electricity and gas.
Charity shops do get some tax concessions, as all shop profits go to fund the work of the charity, which provides public benefit. The key concessions are no VAT on the sale of donated goods, exemption from Corporation Tax, and 80 per cent mandatory non-domestic rate relief, which is funded by central Government.
Are charity shop staff and volunteers trained?
Paid staff and volunteers are given training on retail matters, such as health & safety, till use, customer service, sorting, pricing and display – and an introduction to the charity itself, so they understand what their charity is working towards. See Charity Retail Learning for examples of training.
How do charity shops get stock?
Most shops acquire their stock via bags of donations and some also collect from homes and businesses. More than 90% of shop sales are from donations. Some shops sell new goods - on average charity shops sell around 6% new goods.
How are charity shop donations sorted?
Bags are emptied onto a sorting table, gloves are worn and donations are inspected. Some donors take care to sort and clean items before donating, and some don't. Charity shop workers need to beware of soiled or sharp items.
Are charity shop donations cleaned?
The majority of charity shops have steamers, which are used to clean and freshen up textiles.
What do charity shops do with things they don’t sell?
Textiles that cannot be sold are usually sold to textile recyclers: these goods will either be recycled as fabric or exported as garments for sale overseas. We recommend a TRUST-accredited collector. For more on textile reprocessing, visit the Textile Recycling Association.
Unsold books, records and other household goods can also be sold on to commercial collectors in this way.
How is charity shop pricing decided?
Pricing is often left up to shop and assistant managers, often using pricing guides supplied by the parent charity. Pricing guidance can often be provided by using online tools and referring to online selling platforms. More valuable and unique items such as antiques, jewellery, art and musical instruments will often be sold online to provide the widest possible audience.
How does Gift Aid work in charity shops?
Many charity shops claim Gift Aid arising from the sale of donated goods. This scheme allows charity shops to claim an extra 25 pence for every £1 a Gift-Aided donation raises. Eligible donors of goods will need to give their contact details to the charity shop when they make a donation. When the goods have been sold, they will be notified how much they have helped to raise for charity.
