Running a charity shop is different from a normal store because you may be reliant on donations for your stock, there are lulls and peaks in people’s donation habits and a lot of it is to do with convenience. So you as a charity shop need to do what you can to encourage people to donate more frequently.

Offering a free collection service by your shop can increase donation intake and has a number of other benefits.

Better Stuff

People often donate what they can carry; smaller items and knick knacks that they have laying around the house. You may find that people donate much higher quality items, including furniture, if you provide a collection service.

Also, convenience is such a huge part of donation. Most people just don’t have the time in the day, lack the motivation or simply don’t remember to donate their unwanted items to charity stores. Collection makes it simple for them to part with stuff they no longer need and takes away some of the factors that prevent a lot of people from donating.

Raise The Profile of Your Charity Shop

Charity shoppers are a frequent sight on high streets for the most part, so it is important to raise the profile of your charity store and more importantly make sure that the people of your city know that you are there.

Events such as collections, street collecting and in-store special events such as raffles need to be advertised, and making sure this spreads by word of mouth will help raise the profile of your store. It also gives donators a chance to meet your staff in person, to get to know your store on a more personal level. This generates warmth in the community, or at least more warmth than is already established by being a charity shop in the first place, and creates a good reputation that will do wonders for you.

Frequency

These pick up excursions don’t have to happen too often. A great collection can last you for months; it also gives those who donated a chance to sort through stuff they had last time but was stacked away or they might have even replaced something and have the old one still around.

The fact is that the more time between these collections the more stuff people are likely to have collected and no longer want. But, it also means that your donators won’t feel pestered by too frequent collection requests, and ultimately makes them more likely to donate.

For any enquiries about our services then don’t hesitate to contact us, you can speak to our friendly team on 01204 706 000. To keep up to date with our news and updates follow us on Facebook and Twitter.