Will shoppers buy second hand clothes when charity stores reopen in June?

Charity shops are expecting a deluge of donations when retailers reopen from June.

But shoppers may be concerned second-hand clothing and accessories are susceptible to Covid-19 and avoid buying used clothing.

Charity stores will be introducing extra hygiene to reassure customers, Vicki Burnett, senior consultant at the Charity Retail Consultancy told the BBC.

“They already have great hygiene processes in their shops when it comes to sorting goods – items are washed, steamed or cleaned and this will only increase in the current situation.”

Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, says shops are expecting to be “full to bursting”.

The UK’s 11,000 charity shops help raise almost 300 million pounds for good causes each year. Many people in lockdown have taken the opportunity to clean out their homes. “We’re not just anticipating a normal three months’ worth of donations but also the extra stuff that people may have picked out to donate during their clean-ups,” Osterley said.

Image: Oxfam Superstore; Article source: BBC