The March 2012 Charity Shops report is YouGov SixthSense's second on Charity Retailing. It features expanded coverage of shopper behaviour and attitudes to reflect growth in multi-channel shopping in the wider retailing context. The report also focuses on the increased emphasis by charities on retailing new, as well as second-hand, items to help raise money for their good causes.

The review considers recent developments in the sector, notably how the use of charity shops may be changing in response to an extended period of economic uncertainty and potentially worsening personal finances for many people in the UK. The impact of the economy on donations, occupancy costs and consumer spend is assessed, as is the transference of non-store purchasing, especially online, into the charity retailing sector.

The report includes an analysis of the retail offer of the leading charities, and compares their ability to generate funds for good causes from their retailing operations. Research into shoppers' attitudes towards charity retailing and their motives for buying both new and second-hand goods from charities is also examined. The report also analyses the behaviour behind, and reasons for, donating goods for resale to charities; as without a good supply of saleable goods, continued expansion of charity shop numbers is unsustainable.

To download a table of contents for this report, click here.