Maximising the impact of volunteers in charity shops
We’ve always known that charity shops are a vital community resource, and while many high street retailers have been struggling recently and closing their doors, charity shops continue to thrive and are experiencing record sales.
They have, in fact, made more money so far this year than in the whole of 2022. Data from the Charity Retail Association shows that charity shop income grew by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2024, with the average transaction value increasing by 4.2%, compared to last year.
These figures can be attributed to more people rethinking their shopping habits - as consumers look to save money, as well as consciously buying more second-hand and sustainable clothing. The ongoing growth of charity shops has proven their popularity and resilience during tough economic and trading times.
This continued growth is seeing more charities making positive plans for the future to open more retail outlets this year. According to a survey from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), almost half (47%) charities said they intended to increase their number of shops in 2024, which means many more volunteers are going to be needed.
The role of tech
For most charities with retail outlets, volunteer roles make up the vast majority of the opportunities they offer, and the impact they have is reflected in the sheer volume of sales and income generated from these shops.
Therefore, the management of these volunteers has never been more important. While shops still need at least one paid member of staff to keep them open, it’s a team of volunteers that keeps them ticking over, and so coordinating them can be one of the hardest jobs.
Many factors need taking into account, from rotas and ensuring there are enough volunteers to open the stores each day, to managing stock and easily communicating any changes.
Charities which master the management of their retail volunteers can really reap the benefits of this. It keeps their stores open and running smoothly, keeps their volunteers happy, and great service encourages people to continue coming through their doors every day.
Today, volunteers - young and old - are familiar with some form of technology to be used so utilising these tools to manage volunteers can have a positive impact. Charities should be considering online rotas, email updates and digital application forms, as well as web logins for their website or intranet where volunteers can access resources such as training and organisation news.
These help volunteers to feel better connected and that they are a vital part of a professional organisation. They can also easily see the value of their contribution and are likely to stay longer.
Better connected
One charity which has seen the impact of its retail outlets on its fundraising efforts and the critical services it offers is Dorothy House Hospice Care. The charity which provides compassionate care and support for adults with a life-limiting illness, and their loved ones, relies heavily on the income it generates from its 27 high street stores.
Rachel Stewart, the charity’s head of volunteering, says overhauling the way it recruited volunteers made a huge difference to its entire retail estate. Rachel and her team introduced online applications and QR codes where people could easily access a digital form to apply for roles. This approach also allowed staff to automatically input the data from these forms rather than doing it by hand.
Achieving goals quicker
This simple move helped the charity to achieve its retail recruitment goals much quicker and completely changed how it interacted with its 721 retail volunteers, while also maximising its profits.
Rachel says: “Using QR codes is something we hadn’t thought of before, but a modernised application approach has encouraged many younger volunteers to apply. They can access the applications instantly through their phone and apply without any hassle.
“Younger volunteers, which to us is anyone under 50, are more digitally savvy and really like the modern, refreshing look of the platform we use. As a result, their experience is much more positive, slicker and quicker.”
The charity also found the number of volunteers it recruited aged under 45 increased on average by 2.5% within a year.
Feeling of giving back
Dorothy House is just one example of how a simple solution that allows a charity to advertise its retail positions, recruit and contact volunteers can bring about big, positive changes in the whole organisation. Volunteers will also appreciate when processes are clear and organised.
In its first ever report into social value and social return on investment (SROI) of charity shops, the Charity Retail Association found that as well as being affordable and sustainable places to shop, charity shops also improve people’s lives and wellbeing, thus generating social value in many different ways.
Generating social value
The CRA report found that almost half (49%) of the total social value gained through charity shops was through increasing individuals’ feeling of giving back and the highest social value per person was created for volunteers rather than charity staff or their donors.
In the report, the top three outcomes that volunteers said they achieved from working in a charity shop were:
- “Feeling that I am giving back to others.”
- “Feeling part of a community.”
- “More self-confidence.”
This shows even more why charity shops are so valued to our communities and why it's crucial for charities to invest in their volunteers.
Volunteering needs
Robin Osterley, CEO of the Charity Retail Association, says volunteers have played an important role in the success of charity shops, but charities should be clear on their volunteering needs in order to attract and recruit the right people.
He adds: “We know from our research that charity shops are as popular as ever with shoppers, and one of the main reasons for this is the fantastic work volunteers do to make their shops welcoming and exciting places to be. With more than 187,000 volunteers working across the charity retail sector in the UK, good volunteer management is crucial to ensuring that shops can continue to operate effectively and that volunteers feel valued and confident in their roles.
“Good volunteer management is about making volunteers feel like a valued part of the team, giving them a chance to shine and providing a safe space with robust procedures for this to happen, and the Charity Retail Association works closely with our members to support them with this.
“Charity shops would not be able to do their vital work in raising funds for their parent charities without the support of their volunteers and it’s important that the management of volunteers is continuously reviewed and improved to ensure a positive experience for both charity shops and their volunteers.”
Potential for increased sales
While charity shops are in such a positive situation it makes sense for charities to utilise the tools they have to increase their potential for increased sales, which can be supported by excelling in the management of their retail volunteers. Putting the investment in now also offers an assurance that you will have a strong system in place to maintain volunteer numbers and footfall if the demand for charity shops changes.
Technology enables charities to be more agile, helping them to adapt processes and strategies to unexpected challenges and changing habits - which inevitably will happen at some point. One can’t predict what the next decade may look like for charity shops, but we do know that volunteers will always be needed. As long as charities continue to generate income from their retail outlets, it is hoped they will continue to see the value in investing in them.
