libitina Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4609326.stm Scope shuts 50 shops amid losses Scope says closing shops is a 'straightforward business decision' Disability rights charity Scope is to close 50 of its 300 shops due to a predicted £10m deficit. A spokesman said the closing shops were "serial loss-makers that have not been in profit for at least three years". Along with poor performance on the high street, a fall in fundraising money was blamed for cash problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 (edited) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4609326.stm thats sad - the greed of people through the property madness has ironically taken away money from people where generousity is most needed. Edited January 13, 2006 by trev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munro Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Deflation and eBay. I don't buy from Oxfam any more because they're too expensive; they don't seem to realise that £2.99 for a video or £4.99 for a DVD is often the new price. I don't expect now to pay more than £1 for a video and my Ca$h Converter$ do DVDs at 4 for £10, 6 for £15. Last time I was in an Oxfam I heard this guy complain to his son that he wasn't paying more than the new price for second-hand stuff, even if it is for charity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 "The charity said it also faced problems with its pension fund and needed to refurbish some of its older buildings to provide disabled access. " Health and safety brigadge rearing its ugly head again - doing more harm than good. Whats better lots of shops providing a key service or a few shops complying to all the regulations but doing little beneficial work? Surely shop closure could have been avoided somehow - or is this an easy escape goat to blame.... Munro you ve hit on some there; maybe there should be a charity website auction - where profits are divided amongst all the charities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I was speaking a few weeks ago with several friends who work in a variety of charity shops. Whilst eBay is no doubt partly responsible all said that the real reason why there were closing charity shops was that people no longer wanted second hand goods. All said that people increasingly expect to find 'new' or used/worn once items in charity shops and expect to get such goods for next to nothing. They blamed the culture we have now of everything being new in our decluttered homes. More than one commented that TV make-over programmes had a lot to answer for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Baron Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Agreed; the stuff that used to be dumped on the charity shop is now put up on e-bay. In the past it was difficult to sell second hand items because it involved the hassle of newspaper ads or car boot sales which is why the charity shop benefited. With the global reach of e-bay you can now sell virtually anything and turn it into money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libitina Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 (edited) "The charity said it also faced problems with its pension fund and needed to refurbish some of its older buildings to provide disabled access. " Health and safety brigadge rearing its ugly head again - doing more harm than good. Whats better lots of shops providing a key service or a few shops complying to all the regulations but doing little beneficial work? Well considering its a cerebral palsy charity you can see why they'd want it accessible for everybody. Who says shops are just for able bodied people anyway? Oh, and Oxfam already has an Ebay department. Sells the better quality and collectable stuff that it's own workers haven't snaffled. Edited January 13, 2006 by libitina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Who says shops are just for able bodied people anyway? "They" didnt consider the charity shops sadly - how they were going to pay for the upgrades. Maybe a government grant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libitina Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 "They" didnt consider the charity shops sadly - how they were going to pay for the upgrades. Maybe a government grant? What do you mean? As I understand it, anyone who provides a public service has to be wheelchair accessible? TMT, I agree, people don't want second hand stuff, but some charity shops do charge too much. If it's second hand goods, I want to pay second hand prices too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookingafterthekids Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 thats sad - the greed of people through the property madness has ironically taken away money from people where generousity is most needed. What a load of sh*te. Property price increases blamed for the closure of 30 charity shops. Get in the real world Trev. Ever thought of the following reasons: Greed by the charity shops - read high prices Excessive pickiness by the shops- of 15 bags that I took to a shop, about 10 ended up in the skip Inability to sell electrical goods due to health and safety reg Ebay etc etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_wants_a_home Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Deflation and eBay. I don't buy from Oxfam any more because they're too expensive; they don't seem to realise that £2.99 for a video or £4.99 for a DVD is often the new price. I don't expect now to pay more than £1 for a video and my Ca$h Converter$ do DVDs at 4 for £10, 6 for £15. Last time I was in an Oxfam I heard this guy complain to his son that he wasn't paying more than the new price for second-hand stuff, even if it is for charity. I too agree charity shops have got too expensive. BHF in Commercial Road, Portsmouth for one, used to sell books at a reasonable price. They have over past year put up prices at a rate that makes it look like house prices have stood still for the past few years. Also most Charity shops seem to sell shoes for only marginally less than new and jeans at similar prices to new. They have priced themselves out of the market. All my clothing needs comes from that supermarket juggernaught Tesco. Sorry, nearly all some have come from someone I don't know off ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Local shop has told its volunteers one brew per shift only. Thats just mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving For a Space Ship Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 (edited) Got to agree that IMO, the main reasons for this slowdown in charity shops are the reluctance of folks to re-use goods because of cheap imports and also the ebay/ amazon effect. Insurance & rents are bound to have increased as well. However, Some charities have been winners over the last few years, Oxfam have become the largest 2nd user book seller in the uk (from Rad 4 a yr ago) . Sadly this has been a major factor in decimating old books shops, half of which have closed in the uk over last 3 years, according to a recent tv doc. The ebay / amazon effect & the cheap /new books & anti-re-use mentality also helped to kill the old book shops. I personally have regularly visited charity shops as someone who will buy old goods for myself or sometimes resell on ebay, so have provided them with extra income, exploiting the ebay market. IMO, the value & quality has declined over last 2 years, I estimate you need to scan 500 -1000 items to find 1 to sell on ebay for a profit. Boot sales also have suffered a similar major decline, so its very tough to make a living that way. I ran a community group that re-used art materials, furniture & computers from 1997 to 2003, so know how hard it to get ignorant consumers to reuse. The hipocracy of debt junkie consumers in this so called 'democratic' country to afford the luxury of new items off the backs of Chinese /Indian slave labour is appalling, roll on the crash & the rise in fuel to force them to be more environmentally/economically responsible. EDIT: BTW according to a recent tv doc, Oxfam make £250,000 a year from ebay sales. (attn. mods - I'm getting the pound signs turn into question marks) Edited January 13, 2006 by Saving For a Space Ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slater14 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Libitina, I have said for quite a while (many months) that if things didnt improve in the 'rental game' - I would take my money and time elsewhere. I did.......to eBay. I can tell you without a word of a lie that things are very perculiar in the 'virtual world' People DO have money to spend, at least, they do with me. We are not talking about '"a couple of pounds for a CD".... my items sell for up to £1,200.00 each. I presume a charity shop in central London (or any major town) has to pay a 'going rate' for its premises whereas in Manchester I can get warehouse space for less than 120 quid a week for 4,500 sq ft How can ANY shop compete with that? The demise of charity shops has nothing to do with house prices and everything to do with eBay. If someone had told me 12 months ago what it was possible to achieve on eBay, I would have laughed at them and said there MUST be a catch. The only 'catch' seems to be, do your homework and your sums very carefully....but that applies with any business including that of Landlord. God bless all those BTL muppets....they can have as much property as they like at these prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No6 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Got to agree that IMO, the main reasons for this slowdown in charity shops are the reluctance of folks to re-use goods because of cheap imports and also the ebay/ amazon effect. Insurance & rents are bound to have increased as well. I was told by a friend who lives in Oxford that the Scope shop in Cowley closed because the rent was increased. That's what the staff told him after he paid his last visit. He ended up buying The Da Vinci Code, paperback, for 50p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_duke_of_hazzard Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Deflation and eBay. I don't buy from Oxfam any more because they're too expensive; they don't seem to realise that £2.99 for a video or £4.99 for a DVD is often the new price. I don't expect now to pay more than £1 for a video and my Ca$h Converter$ do DVDs at 4 for £10, 6 for £15. Last time I was in an Oxfam I heard this guy complain to his son that he wasn't paying more than the new price for second-hand stuff, even if it is for charity. There seems to be a debate here between: "charity shops are too expensive" v "people want new stuff". I have to say that charity shops are way too expensive for DVDs and books. They can be got much cheaper now than they formerly could, but charity shop prices don't really reflect that. So people don't buy them. However, good clothes are still good value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Converted Lurker Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Libitina, I have said for quite a while (many months) that if things didnt improve in the 'rental game' - I would take my money and time elsewhere. I did.......to eBay. I can tell you without a word of a lie that things are very perculiar in the 'virtual world' People DO have money to spend, at least, they do with me. We are not talking about '"a couple of pounds for a CD".... my items sell for up to £1,200.00 each. I presume a charity shop in central London (or any major town) has to pay a 'going rate' for its premises whereas in Manchester I can get warehouse space for less than 120 quid a week for 4,500 sq ft How can ANY shop compete with that? The demise of charity shops has nothing to do with house prices and everything to do with eBay. If someone had told me 12 months ago what it was possible to achieve on eBay, I would have laughed at them and said there MUST be a catch. The only 'catch' seems to be, do your homework and your sums very carefully....but that applies with any business including that of Landlord. God bless all those BTL muppets....they can have as much property as they like at these prices. What are you selling Slater..being nosey like PM me if you don`t feel like making it public, just interested that`s all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unexpected Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Life is getting more and more expensive. The housing boom is of course a factor there, but more likely all the stealth taxes and real inflation. Charitys are bound to be some of the first to suffer when people start tightening their belts. I used to give more to charities a few years back when life wasnt so expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slater14 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 What are you selling Slater..being nosey like PM me if you don`t feel like making it public, just interested that`s all Hiya Lurker, I'll PM you the details...... I dont want to post up the details because I know everyone will say - ~groan~ slaters just doing a bit of trolling to drum up business..... and its not the case. I was on HPC lonnngg before eBay and I quite like it that I can come on HPC and have a good rant without thinking - oh my god! I might have just sold them something I did mention some months ago that I couldnt get my figures to stack up for any more purchases and I was getting fed up and would take my money elsewhere.....I dont waste time. I'm doing what every single one of us should do - **** the housing thing, it will change. My life and income will not be put on hold by this current 'fad' of BTL.....when the time is right I will return to property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Darker Law Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Got to admit I haven't read the whole thread (bit pissed). From what I have seen of charity shops of late, they charge far to much for goods they obtain free. This is bad in many respects. Mainly because it prices out those it should be helping. ie those on low/no incomes, and therefore lowers income for their key beneficiaries also. I may be in cloud cuckoo land but I understood that many charity shops operated rent-free (or at least subsidised) whilst a commercial tenant was sought, and that staff were volunteers. Why then the need to charge £12 for a pair of partially worn shoes you could buy brand new in any number of budget shoe shops. I accept that people prefer new stuff, but when it is cheaper than second hand stuff why blame them? Charity shops are expensive in comparison to twenty years ago. NDL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I think charity shops have simply failed to keep up with the times - a problem they've always had. I vaguely hearing about Oxfam in the early 90s talking about a new idea of reviewing their prices regularly so they maximise income. Hence the price increases. But what they've failed to realise is that some of their core goods (books, clothes for example) have had a lot of deflationary pressure due to the likes of Primark, Amazon marketplace and the like. Likewise most videos are practically unsellable - and many DVDs are worth a quarter or less of their new price a few years ago. Scope also have other problems: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressrele...y/17/week.shtml which may be responsible for their recent shop closures. I expect to see some consolidation in the charity sector over the next few years (NSPCC has recently taken over Childline, for example). Personally I only go to my local Sally Army jumble (nothing over 50p usually but only 3/4 times a year) and RSPCA shop (which hardly ever seems to open). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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