1. Opening a charity shop Patsy Wright

2. Pre Opening Planning 1.Finding your shop  Research your area  Location – as close to the high street or main shopping area as you can get  The shop  ideally 1000sq feet  a good sorting and stock room area (ideally the same size as the shop)  space for your volunteers to store belongings/have tea/sit down  There are agencies who will assist you in finding a shop site.

3. 2. The Lease  Short term lease  monthly rent  limited opportunity to make alterations to shop  sometimes as little as 48 hours notice  Long term lease  Company which holds lease will have contact information displayed at the shop site  Most leases are between 5 and 25 years  Negotiate – it is a buyers market  The rent will not be cheaper because you’re a charity

4. 3. Staffing your shop Finding the right manager is crucial  Be clear what you need the manager to do  Have a job description and person specification to recruit to  Investing in the right manager will increase your profitability – remember this is a business!  Have someone on the panel with retail experience  Induction – remember they are part of your organisation, they need to meet other staff and understand what you do.

5. 4. Fitting out your shop  Get a shop fitter to draw up a plan of the shop floor  Shelving for books, bric brac, DVDs, videos etc  Wall hanging fixtures for clothes  Gondolas  Till + Counter  Association of charity shops has a supplier database http://www.charityshops.org.uk/  A basic fit costs approximately £5000

6. The Stock Room  A “pen” for rags (you will need a rag man)  A “pen” for donations  Running rails for hanging and steaming  A steamer  Hangers, cubes  Carrier bags  A sorting table  Shelving

7. 5. Volunteers  Make sure you involve your volunteer co-ordinator if you have one  Remember working in a shop is physically demanding and not for everyone  An ability to get on with people is a must – it is a customer based business  Ideally people who are flexible about when they work  Training is vital

8. 6. Getting the stock  Once you have found your shop put an advert in the local paper asking for donations.  Make sure you have a phone number people can ring  If you have drivers, see if you can pick stock up  Take bags to local businesses, community centres, schools etc and ask them to fill them  Target well off areas with leaflets for donations  Get everyone to ask their friends  If you have other shops, get them to save stock for you

9. 6. Storing stock before you open  See what space you may already e.g. in day centres, offices  Hire a storage facility – cost around £30 per week  A warm, dry garage if one is available

10. 7. Sorting your stock  Make sure the sorters know what they’re doing – they need to know what is good quality and what is not so things can be priced accordingly  Only keep good quality stock  Use plastic gloves  If in doubt, chuck it out

11. Do not sell the following  Anything that smells musty  Books that are torn or written on  Toys that are broken or incomplete – and remember health and safety  Electrical goods unless you can comply with appropriate regulations e.g. PAT testing  Bikes and Prams unless 100% sure they are in perfect condition  Second hand underwear  Clothes that are stained, have buttons missing, frayed collars, faded, hems coming down, torn etc  Single cups and saucers or a single glass unless it’s the finest bone china or crystal  Bric-a-brac that is chipped, stained, broken, worn out  Shoes with broken heels, out of shape, grubby, missing buckles or laces  Keep your standards high

12. 8. Pricing U nless it looks good, you won’t get a good price so steam everything before it goes out  Create a ready reckoner for guidance  Have a limited number of people who price  Make sure the person/people pricing know their labels/shops... ...And make sure that people don’t change prices  Price to your area – look at other charity shops locally and see what they charge BUT make your own mind up  Highlight quality stock e.g. With a gold star  Auction houses will value things for nothing

13. 9. Policies and Procedures  Health and Safety: get your competent Health and Safety advisor to look at the H&S requirements of the shop  Risk assessments must be carried out before the shop is opened  You will need a customer service policy including how you deal with refunds and exchanges  You will need a safe and somewhere to store valuables  Keys! Do not leave them lying about  You will need policies about how money is handled  Notify your insurers and remember to display your insurance certificate  You will need a first aider

14. 10. Displaying the stock  Make sure that your shop looks at its absolute best  Use the right hangers for the right stock and use size cubes  Do buttons and zips up  Face the stock the right way and do not cram onto the rails  If you have windows, do not clutter them and display only your very best stock  Do not clutter the shop floor  Do not use dump bins or boxes on the shop floor  If you can acquire dummies, use them in your windows

15. 11. The opening  Decide your date and stick to it (it usually 3 months to open a new shop)  But don’t decide the date until the shop fitters have left (it will then take approximately 3 weeks)  Publicise your opening date  Get someone to open your shop e.g. Mayor, local celebrity  Get everyone to come in who can come in  Don't forget you need a float for the till

16. Ongoing... Congratulations, you now have a shop!  Remember the standards you start with are the standards you should always keep.  Remember to analyse your stock, and only sell what you sell!  Maintain relations with your local community and businesses  Consider events e.g. Glitz at Christmas, bunnies at Easter, toy fairs, book sales, etc.  Rotate your stock on a 3-weekly basis  Give yourself annual and weekly targets and measure your progress against them  Remember, this is a business!