Are Charity Shops Closing down?

Today we went to see a school for my son and going passed where I would walk to his Primary School, the Charity shop that was there on route, has closed down and the same in Epsom, one in Morden and Horton Centre in Epsom and so are we losing them? 

I love a charity shop but in some aspects it still costing money and people are changing their shopping habits and like me I mainly buy online and we now in Epsom have a Primark, M&S and the big supermarkets. This is leading to many shops, like Charity shops struggling to compete and that they not affording the business costs and feeling that they will all eventually go.

Charity shops have been around from the 1800''s one being in Mayfair and was a flower shop. There was time where I wouldn't step in one as, for example Oxfam because I remember at Primary school it was seen like a bad place to shop and so wouldn't be caught dead in one. Now though it is a must to me. I like to buy books and each year like buying winter clothes and I like second hand. 

Many Charity shops are getting overloaded by stuff and not accepting donations. It appears they can't get rid of some items and over stocked with stuff that is not selling. 

I like to see what they have, but like many of us we are decluttering and I don't need anymore books at the moment or clothes so I have no purpose in going into one and will be buying items from the Charity just for the sake of it.

Will things improve I wonder? 

I am not sure because the government need to decide and it is out of our hands. It out of the people running Charity shops, hands and so to save the high street they need to lower costs otherwise Charity shops and other stores will close because the costs are too high for them to survive and have hardly any stores open, so may lead to the high streets becoming ghost towns.

I did a video about the high street. If you'd like to check it out: FL: Living On A budget, STOP Waste, Shopping on the High Street, Versatile Foods

Stores like B&M and Home Bargains will survive I think because of the variety of products they sell and TKMaxx and Homesense but I think it will effect the smaller stores like Charity shops and affording the rates to stay open. 

With the stores clothing the bigger stores will be on the high street and it is trends. 

Its the in thing to buy from Temu, Vinted, ETSY and Amazon. 

I buy a lot from Amazon because it is convenient. 

So I hope things change and there is help for the Charity shops to survive and not fade away. 

Please share your views. You can comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X