Today, eBay lifts the lid on the internet’s best kept fashion secret – showing shoppers how to access over 2,000 charity shops, all in one place. With research revealing that 70% of consumers have not made a single purchase from online charity shops in the past year, and that a further 9% admit they were unaware these even existed.
From designer lovers searching for a total brand steal, or shoppers simply seeking a bargain on high quality items, eBay’s charity hub caters to all customers.
Those in the know can fill their baskets with items of clothing from top charity sellers, including British Red Cross, Cancer Research, Oxfam, British Heart Foundation and more – without even leaving their homes. Top designer brands available from these charities include Prada, Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger, with many items a fraction of their original price. Including these Prada heels for just £94.95 from St Rocco’s Hospice.
While the nation’s awareness of online charity shopping is low, the research does reveal that 48% of UK consumers have overall shopped more from charities (either online or in store) in the past year. Both to save money (27%) and in a bid to be more sustainable (18%).
As 34% of people prefer to shop online generally and 18% of people would shop more from online charity shops if they knew where to find them,* charity shopping enthusiast Jen Graham (@charityshopgirlcsg) has shared her top 8 tips on how to hack online charity shopping:
- Create a mood board – getting visual with a selection of items you’re looking for allows you to have a clear idea before you go searching – I love to cut images from magazines to create mine, it gives such great inspiration for your next outfit.
- Consider your filters and search terms – inputting information such as size, colour, brand and item type can help to ensure your search results are as close to what you’re looking for as possible. You can also apply a filter that will only show items which benefit a charity, making it easier than ever to shop for good!
- After hours – don’t limit your time searching to just the day time. Search for items that are listed to finish quite late at night as you can often pick up a last minute gem before someone else does.
- Check the spelling – It’s very common for sellers to make spelling mistakes in their listings, so searching with commonly made spelling mistakes can help to show you hidden gems that you’d otherwise not discover. For example; search Guci, instead of Gucci.
- Comfort is key – search at your own leisure – charity shopping online is easy to do and efficient as you can do it in the comfort of your own home. Make sure to regularly check back on your favourite charity shops on eBay as they are always adding new listings from the donations they’ve had in store.
- Charity starts at home – choose a charity that is close to your heart. Not only does this make charity shopping more meaningful, but it also helps to specifically search items that are being listed by that charity to support the cause.
- Use the app – using the eBay app is a great way to shop items you love. It allows you to take a picture on your phone of an item you like, to look for similar items listed online.
- Look for the ribbon – all charity items listed on eBay will have a blue and yellow ribbon next to them – making each purchase that supports a great cause, much easier to find.
Loving nothing more than a browse of online charity shops to bag herself a bargain, Charity Shop Girl said: “Charity shopping online is so much bigger and easier than ever before – and you really can find those golden items if you aren’t a fan of rummaging and searching the shops in person .It’s a lot more efficient, and you pay a fraction of the price than if you bought the item new.
“I also love that when charity shopping, you really are giving back. Online charity shopping makes it easy to support a charity that is close to your heart – in the same way you can when walking into a specific charity shop! Charities receive different and unique donations every day, and did you know volunteers actually hand pick items from charity shops to be put online on eBay? That means you’re shopping for some of the best charity donations from across the whole of the UK, from the comfort of your home.”
Lucy Peacock, head of pre-loved at eBay UK said: “With so many people not knowing where to start when it comes to online charity shopping, we hope to help more people discover how eBay is a one-stop shop for finding the most unique items at bargain prices. It’s been so great to see the appetite for charity shopping grow over the past year, and with over 300 new charities entering to trade on our platform since the beginning of the year, there really is something for everyone.”
To help consumers make their next online charity purchase, below is a selection of designer gems available now on eBay’s charity hub:
- Prada Dark Brown Leather Heels, £94.95, from St Rocco’s Hospice
- REISS Bronze Dress, £40.00, from Shelter
- Tom Ford Men’s White Shirt, £16.00, from Cancer Research UK
- Tommy Hilfiger Tailored Navy Blue Lightweight Jacket, £25.00, from Shelter
- Levi’s Women’s High Rise Super Skinny Blue Jeans, £32.99, from Age UK
- Michael Kors Long Sleeve Button Up Dress, £37.99, from British Red Cross
