Shops boom amid doom and gloom

Jun 1 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

DONATIONS to charities are fluctuating during the credit crunch.

Charity shops are becoming more popular as shoppers try to bag a bargain.

But it comes at a price with some charities seeing actual donations go down.

Oxfam reported that donations have fallen 12% in the last year.

While veterinary charity PDSA said it had lost the equivalent of £800,000 as donations to its charity shops have dropped during the recession.

But two our of local charities – the West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust and Kirkwood Hospice – are seeing trade at their shops go up.

But they have appealed for donations to continue.

The children’s hospice appeal has two shops on Lidget Street in Lindley and Commercial Street in Brighouse.

Lindley manager Diane Radcliffe said they were making more money because shoppers were looking for bargains.

She said: “People are watching what they spend so a charity shop can offer them the bargain another shop can’t.

“It helps that we are a local cause and people really want to support us and see the hospice built, which should start next summer.”

While Kirkwood Hospice, which has 14 local shops, said trade only dipped during recent weeks which had a bank holiday.

Retail co-ordinator Susan Marsden said: “Figures for this week seem to be on track.

“The problem is demand is going up but donations of items aren’t coming in as fast.”

But for the PDSA it’s a different story who issued a plea for people to dig out unwanted items to help them stock the shops.

The cause, which has a shop on Commercial Street in Brighouse, said that because pet owners were finding themselves short of cash the organisation has seen a 10% increase in people turning to them to treat their animals’ illnesses for free.

Andrew Holl, PDSA director of business services said: “The current stock crisis of up to a 9% drop in donations, comes at a time when we have a 10% increase in demand, which puts PDSA vets under immense pressure.”