Why poor-quality donations are putting pressure on charity shops

The essentials.

Fresh reporting has renewed attention on charity-shop donations. Earlier evidence from the sector shows why unusable clothes can become a cost.

A little more perspective.

The Guardian reported on 13 October that charity shops were struggling with unsaleable donations while some donors sold better items online. [1]

The problem predates this week

In a statement published on 31 May, the Charity Retail Association relayed concerns from St Luke’s Hospice in Harrow and Brent. It said around 60% of donated clothing could not be sold in shops, while handling damaged or unsuitable items added costs. This was an account of the hospice’s experience, not a new nationwide survey. [2]

The association also reported that rag prices had fallen by roughly 70% over the preceding two years, although they had stabilised by the time of that statement. Lower returns from unsold textiles meant less money to offset processing and disposal. [2]

What donors can do

St Luke’s asked supporters to donate clean clothes in a condition suitable for resale. The practical lesson is to check what a particular shop accepts before delivering a bag of unwanted items. [2]

The available evidence supports concern about donation quality. It does not establish that online resale alone caused the problem, or that every charity shop faces the same conditions.