Charity Shops

What is happening to the landscape of the traditional British high street these days? As more and more retail outlets are decamping to the out-of-town shopping malls and super centres gaps are left, like rotting teeth, in our once thriving streets. It’s a sad sight to see boarded up shop fronts where once thrived grocers, butchers, hardware merchants and bakers. But hang on a moment, what is this that I see moving in to take their place? Charity Shops!!!

In my very own pleasant middle class suburb, in recent years we have said good bye to an excellent delicatessen only to say hello to Cancer Research, and watch as a butcher metamorphosed into a ‘Help the Aged’ shop. Can this be a good thing, our local necessities being replaced by do-gooders?

Well in some ways yes because charity shops fulfil two very important needs in modern society. As the economy booms, house prices soar and people get rich they need to throw out their old stuff and replace it with something new. But as society gets polarised, the government chips away at the Welfare State and some people get poorer they need to stretch their meagre budgets and buy the second-hand goods that others have dispensed with and this is where charity shops come in.

Let’s say you are a poor student, you have little money but need a new outfit to attract a new boy or girlfriend at the Student Union party that you are going to at the weekend. All you need to do is pop along to your local charity shop and buy, for just a few pounds, that sexy top or fancy accessory that somebody else has become bored with. Or maybe you want to stay in at the weekend and have some special friend around to your apartment for dinner. You can just nip round to the charity shop and buy a few extra plates, knives and forks and maybe pick up a wall hanging or a candle or two to add to the ambience. All this can be done at a fraction of the price of a new item and will often be of a better quality.

What if you are no longer a poor student but have some money and have moved into a swanky new pad? Do you really want all that old rubbish that you have accumulated over the years? No of course not but somebody might and it’s not that bad. Why not take it round to the charity shop and get rid of it. You feel virtuous for giving to others and you get rid of unwanted clutter at the same time!

How about if you have just arrived in town and want to meet new people and help one of your favourite causes at the same time? Well, you can volunteer some of your spare time to work at the charity shop. Oh yes, and get the first chance of snatching up that cast-off Armani jacket before the regular customers get it!!

So, do you want to see Help the Aged, Cancer Research, Oxfam or Scope opening up and providing a useful service or some overpriced and bland chain of American coffee shops moving into your patch?

Answer these questions on the article.

1. Where are the shops moving to?

2. What is taking the place of useful shops?

3. Name 3 things that you can buy in a charity shop.

4. Who takes discarded items to charity shops?

5. What are the two main advantages of working in a charity shop?