Top 10 tips: The right location is not always best location for charity shops

1. Choosing the right location is still fundamental to business success and the right location is not always what you would imagine. A destination location can sometimes out-perform one that has high footfall and little competition.

2. Knowing what is going on around you can turn what is a not so good location into something to build on for the future. Changes in the local plan/unitary development plan can make a huge difference to a retailer.

3. Growth can mean many things to many people, from new shops or staff to more sales. In a competitive market, we need to focus on what matters – doing what we do well, and do it better than anyone else.

4. Know what your competitors are doing and learn from them. The retail charity sector does not just mean other charity shops it also means pound shops and discount retailers.

Take note of what they do well and what they do badly.

5. A charity entering the retail market for the first time can usually offer their customers the best stock possible, if they have good sources.

Beware though – as they grow and open more shops, it becomes more difficult to maintain that standard. The offer tends to get diluted as the stock has to be shared.

6. Most charity shops are visited frequently by experts in their field, who really can spot the true value.

This is fine so long as they help the charity to realise the best price possible and aren’t there to cherry-pick the best bargains for themselves.

7. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you sign your lease.

8. If you’re a charity consider your costs. The bigger the charity, the higher the costs.

9. Recognise your strengths. People support a charity for many reasons. If the charity has a shop in the right place, it will be supported by the group of people who have become customers.

10. Know your customers and add information to your modern Epos till.