Bristol has the most charity shops in the UK, research finds

Bristol has been named the city with the most charity shops in the UK, while Norwich has been declared the best city for 'thrifting'.

Bristol has a total of 145 charity shops, while Norwich has 60, however Norwich has an average of four charity shops per square mile.

Norwich has also claimed its title as the ‘best city for thrifting’ based on its array of car boot sales and antique fairs across the city.

New data from The Co-Operative Bank found there are a total of 11,200 charity shops across the country; 127 of which are based in Nottingham and 102 of which are based in Manchester.

Other cities with a high density of charity shops include Southampton (61), Leicester (57), Derby (55) and Oxford (48).

Co-Operative Bank’s research aims to shed a light on the benefits of ‘thrifting’; encouraging people to shop at charity shops or second-hand markets in order to help save money whilst reducing the impact of shopping on the planet.

“Every week, 13 million items end up in landfill, and second-hand shopping can prevent more landfill waste from accumulating,” the bank’s PR lead, Sophie McHale said.

“On top of that, you can save up to 25% per item, which could add up to £185 a year. Each purchase can then leave money over that could go towards your savings or other financial goals.”



Share Story:

Recent Stories


Charity Times video Q&A: In conversation with Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK
Charity Times editor, Lauren Weymouth, is joined by Dementia UK CEO, Hilda Hayo to discuss why the charity receives such high workplace satisfaction results, what a positive working culture looks like and the importance of lived experience among staff. The pair talk about challenges facing the charity, the impact felt by the pandemic and how it's striving to overcome obstacles and continue to be a highly impactful organisation for anybody affected by dementia.
Charity Times Awards 2023

Beyond the funding squeeze: Using equities to secure your charity’s future
With charities facing increasing financial pressure and traditional income streams under strain, making investments work harder has never been more important. M&G’s Richard Macey and Michael Stiasny join Charity Times to discuss why equities remain a vital long-term asset class for charities, how organisations can balance income generation and growth, and the opportunities the current market environment may offer to help strengthen financial resilience.