The cost of living crisis has impacted many sectors across the UK, even those who would traditionally be seen as low budget options, such as charity shops.
The below audio package seeks to understand the demands on charity shop prices and how sellers are managing to keep costs low and businesses afloat.
South West Londoner reporter Madeline Sherratt’s journey began in Wandsworth, where she spoke with charity shop worker Grace who highlighted that rising rent costs and a demand for sustainable fashion (but high quality goods) have increased pressure.
Grace said that she has to compete with online apps like Vinted and Depop, using them as price benchmarks for designer goods which can often be donated to charity shops.
Megan Wing, founder of Wings World, travels to landfill sites where most clothes from UK clothes bins are dumped to keep costs low.
She then brings the clothes into a space where people can fill up a bag of items for £10.
Her motivation for Wings is to keep second-hand clothing accessible to a range of mixed-income customers as well as to recycle goods which would otherwise be occupying landfill sites or shipped abroad to developing countries.
Click the play button below to hear more about how sustainable fashion stores are being pushed to their limit.
