LOCAL charity shops have soared in popularity among the younger generation in recent years, but why?
Whether the reason is financial, sustainability or just trying to find a designer item for a bargain, the millennial and Gen Z generations are turning the charity shop stigma of it being for the older generation around and Fermanagh is hopping on the trend.
After record growth last year, charity shop sales remained steady in the first quarter of 2024, with 67 per cent of young people saying social media impacts their shopping habits due to wanting to express themselves more through fashion, shopping more, but also becoming aware of sustainable fashion practices, according to data from the Charity Retail Association.
Enniskillen has a large number of charity shops all close to the centre of the town, leaving it very easy for locals to get the best deals and browse them all.
ForSight Charity Shop in Enniskillen raises funds to enhance and empower the lives of children and adults who are blind or visually impaired.
Ryan Fawcett who volunteers at the shop says he has noticed an increase in young people walking through the doors.
“There is 100 per cent more young people coming into charity shops, we get a lot of students coming in from South West College, they all come in and go through all the clothes and you get definitely decent deals here,” Ryan explained.
“I think a lot of younger people have realised that going to bigger clothing chains is expensive and the quality is not great, so they have seen it is better to buy things second hand and bringing something already used back to life, you also get a lot more interesting items from all over the world.”
One young local shopper who would regularly take a day in Enniskillen to go charity shopping, told the Herald, “You get good bargains, you get a lot of brand new stuff for a lot less than in-store which a lot of people don’t know.
“It’s better for the environment and it’s like a treasure hunt, you never know what you’ll find.”
Charity shops are also giving people the opportunity to give back as donating your unwanted clothes and clearing some room in the wardrobe may lead to somebody finding the one thing they are looking for to add to their collection of treasured charity shop finds.
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