The Charity Retail Association has published an overarching plan for the next three years, including a pledge to boost public opinion of the sector.
Its latest strategy, Shop for the Future, lists lobbying, campaigning and advocacy as the trade body’s number one priority, with it aiming to “be the voice of the sector and the go to organisation” for the media. It says it will campaign to create beneficial change in areas that are negatively affecting the sector.
Speaking to Civil Society Media, chief executive Robin Osterley said the organisation plans to be more proactive in its communications approach.
"We have been very good as an organisation in the past at reacting to things that have happed like the threat to remove business rates relief in Wales.
"What we have not been so good at is being proactive about shouting about the joys of charity shops in a positive way."
CRA also plans to boost its research, pledging to compile and publish regular benchmarking reports of the performance of the sector, compared to previous periods and to commercial retail, and identify a way of possibly publishing data and opinions on future trends.
This plan comes at a time when charity retail organisations are under increasing pressure from a number of sources.
Pressures listed in the report include the “increasingly commercial and financially driven policies of local authorities” and others such as:
- an increasing need to provide charitable contributions as other fundraising sources decline.
- increasing costs, particularly in staffing;
- difficulties in the recruitment, training and retention of volunteers of sufficient calibre.
- a general move away from high street trading.
- aggressive and determined low cost commercial retailers.
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“Against this, however, the traditional creativity and flexibility of the charity retail sector has been shining through,” it says.
“We have seen a growth in boutique and specialist shops providing a new and exciting retail experience even when compared to commercial outlets; a move to out of town stores providing a much wider range of goods and services; an increased awareness and deployment of arguments around the social impact of charity retail; an increased investment in the training and recruitment of high quality staff; wider use of gift aid provision; and an improvement in shop standards across the board.”
Last March the True and Fair Foundation published a report criticising many large charity shop chains for perceived inefficiencies. Sector figures condemned the report as "embarrassingly poor" but it was still covered by national papers.
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