The first Sue Ryder charity shop was established in 1992 – it was founded personally by Sue. For nearly 30 years we have learnt a lot: how to cooperate with donors, maintain a relationship with customers or spread the concept behind our shops. We have lived through the thick and thin, as it happens in business, but we have always known that shops are key to the Foundation’s operations. We have no shred of doubt that it will also be so in the future. We want that and we are working hard to ensure that more and more people benefit from the charity sales.
Charity shops remain the most important source of income for the Foundation. It is thanks to the generosity of donors and the purchases of our clients that we can help others and continue to build the organisation. However, we are aware that while the very idea of charity shops still has great traction, it requires constant development.
Our grand project is to expand the network of stationary shops. Currently there are six of them scattered around Warsaw, one located in Szczecin and this is definitely not our last say in the capital of Poland. We also have signals from other places in Poland that there is a will to open shops there. Moreover, we are planning to deploy specialist shops, such as the furniture stores. There is also cooperation with clothing companies on the horizon – they will hand over the end of product lines to the shops.
We are promoting the very idea of a charity shop. It encourages you to pass on your contributions and think about our shops as an important point on the shopping map and a way to engage in charity. The important element of our campaigns is the donation-station, i.e. a solution for people who would like to organise a collection on their own, e.g. at their workplace. Posters and mailing materials come with the station.
Another step is the implementation of the Internet store. E-commerce is becoming more and more important year by year and it is difficult to imagine the operation of charity shops without this channel in the long run. We are ready for this challenge and already on it..
Do you want to open a Sue Ryder charity shop? Or maybe you dream of organising a collection? Write to us or give us a call!
