To think this is the end for charity shops?

[Therollockingrogue]

I mean is it? I love charity shops, nearly everything I own is second hand, from car boot sales, charity shops etc etc . But the thought of a rummage now makes me feel a bit bleeeurghh. Anyone else?
Given that in some of our towns the high streets are just alternate vape shop/ nail bar /charity shops, what will happen?
Who would want to work in such an environment anyway after this, especially when most staff are volunteers ?

I cleared out DS's old books and put them outside for the neighbours kids. They were eagerly taken by the children of a respiratory consultant.

I don't think clean used goods are a general health threat.

Charity shops will absolutely thrive post Covid. Think of all the clearout donations, and all the bargain lovers like me just itching to get back in there.

Plus lockdown will put so many retail workers out of their jobs, there will be plenty of volunteers.

My local corner shops are operating a 2 customers at a time policy, ditto chemists (some 1 customer at a time). So I could see charity shops trying that, with a couple volunteers hiding in the back not dealing with customers. I think dealing with the volume of donations will be the biggest problem, but as our local shops have to regularly ban donations for a few days until they can sort through them, I imagine donors will get used to checking before taking stuff round.

In my shop we wouldn't have the resource to have someone on the till, someone at the door counting people in and out, someone in the back sorting. Well, we might at some times, but not when someone needs to go to the bank, or the loo, or have a sit down and a cup of tea.

Most charity shops can't get enough volunteers. It's REALLY difficult. And if the over 70s are still being told to stay at home, we're even more stuck.

What's the connection between something being grubby and the coronavirus? You can't get a virus from dirt.

There is no connection. But there are a lot of people who are all "ewww germs, second hand, dirty, stuff that other people have had, ewww disgusting" in the best of times.

People who are paranoid enough to be soaking their veg in bleach aren't going to be popping into Cancer Research for a rummage.

jackparlabane imagine donors will get used to checking before taking stuff round I doubt very much people will bother to ring before donating stuff, one of my DHs shops has limited space and sometimes has to restrict donations due to no room, he gets a mouthful of abuse for his trouble. One of his shops is in our local town, on Saturday I had to stop a couple unloading stuff and leaving it the doorway even though the shop is shut (like most other shops|) even though there are clear signs asking people not to do it, they went away after swearing at me but I bet they came back and just dumped it after I left

I think it is the opposite actually. So many more of us have had time to consider the way we consume.
Not the people who queued outside Zara today for two hours in my local city today however.

YABU. I’ll be hunting through the charity shops, no problem.

The larger ones will go back to getting staff from the job centre and making money from the fees that were paid for accepting people on the Work Programme like they did before there was a backlash about it. Exactly. I hope there will be a national boycott of any charity using workfare conscripts. I'm very worried that the legacy of the lockdown will be a renewed push for austerity and a more aggressive race to the bottom.

Not the people who queued outside Zara today for two hours in my local city today however.

Queuing for what?

Charlottejbt workfare was stopped in 2015 www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tories-quietly-scrap-scheme-forced-6906383

Charity shops can get volunteers from the JC my DH has 4, these people are not mandated, cannot have their benefits stopped or be sanctioned in any way if they don't want to do it what happens is that their hours worked count as part of their 35 hours a week job search commitment and DH had to sign a form to say these people will not be replacing paid staff, BTW he has 2 shops and one of his volunteers from the JC has been taken on as a paid sales assistant 4 days a week.

So unless it changes there wont be any 'conscripts' will there

Exactly. I hope there will be a national boycott of any charity using workfare conscripts.

Given that the scheme was scrapped at the end of 2015, you've no need to be boycotting anyone.

PineappleDanish I have already told at least 2 people that on this thread but they don't take any notice

I think charity shops will be ok. I've a pile of stuff ready to go when they reopen and looking forward to having a good browse.

We have people doing their community service in our shop so given that all of our volunteers are elderly I expect my manager will ask the probation service for more people to cover the shortfall ??

I run a charity shop, we had already had processes in place for the donations to be quarantined for 78 hours, all the ppe we could need and drivers are now not allowed into people homes. We also pay for cleaners to come in a few times a week to make sure the items are cleaned properly. As for tatty items, you would be surprised how many donations we do not accept-it would cost a lot for us to dispose of items that are not shop floor ready, so we don’t! I am very much looking forward to going back to work, I know my team feel the same.

I have already told at least 2 people that on this thread but they don't take any notice

It's one of those stock phrases which people keep churning out because they've heard other people say them, and haven't put any thought into the matter.

Usually the same sorts of people saying things about grabby volunteers creaming off all the good stuff, extortionate prices, bobbled primark t-shirts at twice the price of new, stuff staying on the shelves for 6 months and my personal favourite from a couple of years ago - that a charity shop manager earned enough to buy a 500k house in teh home counties and put two children through private school.

Even before the Help to Work programme ended in 2015, many of the large charities like Christian Aid, Scope, Shelter and Oxfam were refusing to support it.

I'd love a rummage at the moment, I also have a couple of bags of donations.

I hope they get accepted as they're all clean and in good condition. Such a shame that people aren't considerate to the shop workers and give clean, quality items.

I haree that there is no greater risk from these shops than any other shop you might visit. Maintain good hygiene yourself and you'll be fine. I dont think the shops should be enforcing mask wearing and using hand gels for the public though, its extra expense that the charities do not need. I won't be using any shop, charity or otherwise that makes me wear a mask before going in.

I got a bag collecting for charity through my door today, pick up on Wednesday.
They must be looking to start up again in some capacity ?

@ohcorona a lot of the charity bags that come through the door are scams, and hardly any % goes to the charity.

They used to have the dual purpose of helping poor people as well as raising money for the charity, but these days a lot of the good stuff is siphoned off and bargains are rare, so I don't see why they should get special consideration.

Our lovely hospital charity shop charges £1 an item; they do put designer and exceptional stuff online, but there's plenty of Monsoon, Zara, Per Una etc for £1 each, alongside bobbly Primark etc. Lots of good books as well.
They keep stuff out of landfill, help hospital patients, and keep lower income folk clothed and read. They also take on volunteers with difficulties and help train them, and operate in a place with plenty of empty shops available. Lots of reasons they should get special consideration, and I look forward to them being able to start up again and will do all I can to support them.

A lot of charity chains gave clearance or bargain stores too. One near me has a 123 shop where everything is £1 £2 or £3

They will bounce back quickly.

I ( like a lot of us I suspect) have a charity shop pile that I have been adding to since lockdown.
Charity shops will be deluged with donations as soon as they open.

They used to have the dual purpose of helping poor people as well as raising money for the charity

I don't understand where this myth has come from. The aims of most charities are clear, whether that's teh RSPCA raising money for animals, the local hospice shop, Cancer Research, Oxfam or Save the Children. These shops have always been about raising money for that particular charity.

We do try to keep stuff out of landfill wherever possible and people who shop in charity shop are partly doing so for eco reasons. Many of the customers I speak to come to us because they want something a bit different. They don't want to be wearing the same Primark dress as 10 other people at a party, or have their homes looking like the Next catalogue. You can always find something different and quirky.

But there is a growing trend of people bringing us stuff which really is only fit for the bin. I personally think it's because the landfill message has really hit home and they don't want to throw anything away. But there is no market for chipped cups, dolls minus their heads or DVD cases without any DVDs in them. Yes we can recycle all textiles and books/paper/card. But the rest of the rubbish has to go in the dumpster and we have to pay commercial rates to have it collected. Our store fills one of those large commercial bins twice a week with rubbish.

PLEASE just ask yourself before donating whether you'd pay money for what you're giving us. It'd save a lot of hassle and cost.

I think a lot of things will change, The high street for one. The big boys in the charity shop game will possibly come up with policies and procedures and move forward.
People will have amassed a huge amout of stuff they wish to dump at the earliest opportunity. Space can be very limited in smaller shops. I think the tiny ones will go under.