The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has unveiled sales data from its network of 680 charity shops to reveal where the best destinations are to sell specific items, including books, clothes and household goods.

It reveals that its most popular charity shop among music lovers is its Stockport branch, which is the best in the network for selling vinyl records.

The charity’s Bristol branch tops its poll for comics sales and its Clifton branch, also in Bristol, is the top performer in terms of sci-fi.

Lincolnshire’s Sleaford is top for selling horror books, Washington in the Northeast is best for selling romance novels. Similarly, the BHF East Kilbride store tops the charity’s network of branches for selling Mills & Boon books.

Elsewhere, crime novels are more suited to charity shoppers in Bicester, where this genre of reading is the most popular. In Hove, the charity’s branch is top for selling kids' books.

In terms of clothing Newcastle is the top branch for selling vintage clothes, while Southampton is the best for selling women’s shoes.

Regarding home furnishings, white goods and other household items, Edinburgh is best for selling beds, Camberley tops the poll for crockery sales, washing machines are most popular in Weston Super Mare and the charity’s Hamilton branch is best for selling lighting and lamps.

Livingstone has been named the best BHF store for selling jigsaws.

Four in five shop second hand

The charity also reveals that four in five people now shop second hand every month. This s based on a survey of more than 4,500 shoppers in April this year.

On average consumers ship second hand four times a month.

The key reasons are cost of living, cited by more than half of shoppers and sustainability, which was mentioned by almost a third.

Among second hand shoppers almost half are focused on buying furniture and homeware, while more than a third are looking for clothes.

Second hand furniture is particularly popular among generation Z, which is the generation with the most items in their houses, more than double that of Baby Boomers.

The survey findings and sales data has been revealed as the BHF launches its month-long Reuse Revolution campaign to promote the benefits of shopping at and donating to charity stores.

“This month we are asking the public to join the Reuse Revolution and shop, upcycle or donate second hand furniture, homeware, clothes and toys while helping to raise funds for life saving heart research,” said the charity’s retail director Allison Swaine-Hughes.

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