The Unique Opportunity Facing Charity Retail
Towards the beginning of the year I attended a shop opening in Kings Cross for the new shelter boutique in the Coal Drops yard – the B corps London fashion retail estate with a focus on sustainability and community houses sustainable fashion brands and has a green energy system and mainly local employees.
Image courtesy of shelter charity
There was much discussion amongst us charity shopping fans around this Shelter Boutique being one of a few innovative retail concepts and initiatives springing up within the charity space. Above the din I heard someone say of the sector: ‘there’s something really interesting going on, an interesting phenomenon’. They were referring to the evidential stats provided by one of the speakers at the event who highlighted that while the retail sector at large is in decline (not new news), in Jan 2019 Charity Retail saw like for like growth as circa 5.1% (well above inflation) while commercial retail was looking at -1% (Charity Retail Association Report 2019).
And they are right – there is something very exciting going on – It’s the convergence of the rise of the conscious consumer and the simultaneous focus on innovation, customer experience and an enhanced retail offering within the charity sector. For me the charity retail space is a fascinating area to work in because of the unique opportunity I believe charity retailers are facing with the steady growth of a consumer who cares, and the inextricable connection between the product and the cause.
With 9 out of 10 millennials ready to switch to brands that align with their values and 1 in 3 people now considering social and environmental impacts when shopping for their clothes it’s officially cool to care. So whether it’s a booming reusable water bottle industry or the snubbish nose in the air Gen Z-ers are giving to brands that do not align with their moral social and environmental values (40% said they would not just turn away from these brands but that they would be prepared to boycott them) – if you listen carefully Greta Thunbergs’ words can be heard echoing through the halls of our shopping malls – ‘change is coming whether you like it or not because the real power belongs to the people.’
People want innovation and quality shopping environments and experiences worthy of drawing them away from their ecom screens and to visit IRL destinations. Shopping great products that put less pressure on the environment because they are largely second hand, whilst contributing to a good cause seems a pretty enticing proposition, particularly if all this comes presented in a unique and appealing retail space.
Our Gen Z conscious consumer (those under 22 yrs) have had a tough time of it having grown up amidst economic recession, social unrest and the dominance of mobile technology. They demand immediate gratification and authenticity. What’s more their desire for feel good experiences and their penchant for wielding their conscious purchasing power is not to be ignored now that they are the largest cohort of the population at 26%.
No wonder there is much innovation in the sector, and whatever your personal opinion might be of charity shops the evidence shows that they deserve their place on the high street. With the average spend in a charity shop being just £4.05 they provide us with a price tags we can afford. The charity retail sector is not only built on sustainable principles (in 2018, 327,000 tonnes of textiles alone were kept out of landfill as a result of charity retail in the UK) They then start to compete with our favourite high street fashion outlets providing a sustainable alternative.
And Innovation in the sector can sometimes sit in the most unlikely/ingenious of places – whether it’s Cats Protection and their live feed of kittens in store (who doesn’t love a live feed of kittens – hold tight while they break the internet), or being able to select a cat to collect at your closest cat home while in store via an ipad.
Or just as exciting is what’s happening in the event space; The Love Not Landfill pop up took place in Brick lane bringing together many charity brands under one roof showcasing collections curated by influencers such as @confetticrowd, @jasminehemsley. This concept was hugely successful in it’s aim to attract 16-24 year olds and encourage them to choose second hand clothing as a primary option.
With an interest growing in how things are made – the space ran tactile maker workshops each evening such as barnardo’s x charity fashion live running an alterations workshop to the backdrop of a 90’s DJ to set the throwback mood and trinity retail holding a jewellery mending tutorial where attendees could bring their broken pieces along to give them new life.
Image by Danny Craven, Creative directed by Emma Slade Edmondson for Love not Landfill Campaign.
This type of educational yet fun experiential draw is all round feel good and clearly speaks in the language of our conscious consumer. Coupled with a clean, modern space adorned only with fashion editorial imagery featuring desirable second-hand charity shop clothing – making for something that’s really custom made for the audience. And even those charity retailers whose audience has not traditionally been a younger consumer have begun to seamlessly blend brand with the creation of an elevated retail experience.
Image by Anton Rodriguez for Cancer Research UK Premium Shops. Strategy and Creative Direction by Emma Slade Edmondson, Interior design by At Drewstead Road.
Take the new Cancer Research Marylebone premium store for example. The idea behind the transformation being ‘a thank you’ to existing customers and an invitation to the new; something that would transcend demographics and provide a fitting home for the fabulous high-quality product on offer. As soon as you walk in it’s a haven of calm, regardless of what’s going on in your day, or life even. I’ve witnessed locals walk in, stop, take a breath and walk out to check the fascia and the name above the door.
Even commercial retailers want a piece of the action – we see this with asos marketplaces hosting charity vendors, the traid curated by anthropologie pop up . And of course as referenced in Coal Drops Yard directors inviting Shelter to bring their Boutique concept (as designed by Wayne Hemmingway) to sit alongside heavyweight fashion lifestyle neighbours and sustainable brands (Wolf and Badger, Finsiterre and Aesop). Shelter looks right at home with visual merchandising and product that more than rivals any of it’s competitors within the complex. You could while away an entire lunch break in store and yet the cause hasn’t been relegated to the side-lines – customers can soak up info on the UKs homelessness crisis and how they can help through the digital screen displays.
This elevation and healthy ambition to compete not just within the charity retail sector but to collaborate and compete with the commercial sector, is changing the face of charity retail and helping to alter the behaviour of a younger customer. The purchase of second-hand clothing for environmental reasons has increased by 22.5% since 2016 (Ethical Consumer Markets Report). I wonder how that stat is looking in 2019 especially with public figures like Megan Markle and Emma Watson firmly pushing the lifestyle and fashion sustainability agenda. There’s a growing awareness that we need to move away from a throwaway consumer culture, with even fashion bloggers and influencers taking up the mantle despite it being fundamentally at odds with their business model.
As we become more and more aware of the dark side of fast fashion and its’ negative impact on people and the planet, the search for options that have some feel good offset intrinsically baked into them will become more and more mainstream. The Charity shop offering will become increasingly appealing and as they find themselves in a uniquely advantageous position which if capitalised on could move us towards a brighter future for people, the planet and the acquisition of a feel-good fashion fix!
