A ‘World’s Greatest Grandad’ mug with a cracked handle, a vintage Adidas jumper with a splodge of blue paint down the front, or an armchair with no cushions. The things you’ll find in a charity shop are always a surprise and, with over 11,200 of them across the country, it’s never been easier to pick up a bargain. But which city is the best for second-hand shopping?
To find out, The Co-operative Bank has examined data on the number of charity shops, car boot sales, antiques fairs, and online Gumtree listings in cities across the UK. Overall, Bristol came in ninth, which isn’t anything to write home about, but there’s one area it excelled – and that’s with the number of charity shops it has.
Bristol boasts 145 charity shops, more than the likes of Manchester (102) and Nottingham (127). It also sees high traffic on selling sites like Gumtree, with 450 listings made per 10,000 people – but this is nothing compared to Manchester’s 1,123 and Norwich’s 973. Bristol also has 10 antique fairs and 16 car boot sales.
“Thrifting is a great way to save money while also helping the planet,” said Sophie McHale, Public Relations Lead at The Co-operative Bank. “Every week, 13 million items end up in landfill, and second-hand shopping can prevent more landfill waste from accumulating. On top of that, you can save up to 25% per item, which could add up to £185 a year.”
The Co-operative Bank researched 30 UK cities to determine which city is the most thrifty. Each metric (other than the Gumtree listings) was indexed based on the amount per square mile. Each city was then scored and ranked according to this range of metrics. Unfortunately, this list overlooks many other areas where Bristol shines for thriftiness – like its many vintage stores or Library of Things.
The UK’s best cities for secondhand shopping:
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Manchester
- Cambridge
- Oxford
- Southampton
- Derby
- Portsmouth
- Bristol
- Leicester