Is the gift of giving falling as christmas approaches?
15 October 2009
Charities and charity shops need donations all year around, especially at Christmas. Here, NCi looks at the impact of falling donations.
Whatever you think of the commercialisation of Christmas and whether the true meaning of the festive season has been lost or not, Christmas is associated with the giving and receiving of gifts. THere, NCi looks at what effect people giving less is having on those who need it most.
If you turn on the television or read the newspaper there is every chance you are faced with headlines portraying doom and gloom with the economy and the affect this has on businesses. And whilst the retail industry has been especially hard hit in recent months, one part of the retail sector has been bucking the trend and performed well.
That particular sector is charity shops and organisations who sell on goods they have donated to them. When times are tough, being price conscious is clearly proving to be extremely important which has resulted in members of the general public seeking out charity shops for clothing and other household goods rather than automatically heading for a more well known store.
This has been good news for the charity shops but the fact is donations to these shops are now on the decline as people look to keep and use items that they might previously have donated. This now means that charity shops could be faced with more demand for their goods but less goods to actually supply their customers with.
This unique problem means the charity shops could soon mirror the retail sector as a whole and start to see a downturn in sales. Not due to lack of demand but simply due to a lack of donations and goods which to sell. Many charity shops will hope that donations increase in the new year as people look to clear out their houses or simply look for a home for unwanted gifts they have received.
It is also possible that a combination of reduced interest rates and retailers January sales could mean shoppers return to the stores and start buying again. If this happens then donations to charity shops could very well start to increase again and meet the demands of their new client base. The truth is that times are tough for all business sectors including charities and charity shops who rely on support and donations from the general public.
With recent high profile charity events such as Comic Relief or Children in Need proving that donations are still being made, even in the hardest of times, charity shops could still survive as people more so than ever look for bargains and value for money. Just as members of the public look for value for money so too are the charities and charity shops as well. From looking to save money on their insurance cover to making sure they pay less for other services including gas and electricity, for many the festive period is going to be a time to tighten their belts.
Whilst making donations may be slow, the fact is that people can and will still as much as possible, and often more than they can comfortably afford, as they get immense satisfaction out of giving. For many people and businesses the festive period will be a struggle but through the gift of giving, hard times can be made a little easier and the real meaning of Christmas could shine through. NCi Charity is a charity insurance and charity shop insurance specialist.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 25/01/2019 - The potential of cloud technology to transform the motor insurance landscape
- 25/01/2019 - Getting smarter in the workplace
- 25/01/2019 - Pottery Firm Becomes Latest Target of Increasing Cyber Attacks
- 25/01/2019 - How Business Continuity is moving towards the cloud
- 10/04/2017 - Cyber Risk Calculator Launched to Help Businesses Calculate Data & Cyber Risks
- 10/01/2017 - Supply Chain Risk Management
- 05/01/2017 - 2017 Forecast for Motor Traders
- 21/12/2016 - Top tops for staying safe in the storms this Winter
- 16/12/2016 - Top Tips for Starting a New Business
- 09/08/2012 - Commercial Kitchens Fire Safety Advice
- 09/08/2012 - Directors and Officers Insurance - 10 Reasons Why You May Need It
- 24/07/2012 - What takes 45 seconds and can cost up to 2500 pounds?
- 24/07/2012 - The Secret to Donation Success for UK Charities
- 24/07/2012 - Why Are More Injury Claims Made When They Are Less Accidents?
- 19/07/2012 - Why Rain Equals Pain for UK Home Owners
- 19/07/2012 - How to Help Stop Your New Business Failing
- 19/07/2012 - Flooding and How You Can Reduce Damage
- 09/11/2011 - Budding Nursery Owners Reveal Their Worst Nightmares
- 09/11/2011 - Commercial Insurance Specialist Joins Northern Counties
- 09/11/2011 - Insurance Claims Specialist Appointed to Head Leading Brokers Claim Division
- 09/11/2011 - Staff the Key to Success for Region’s Business Insurance Broker
- 13/10/2010 - UK Businesses Offered Risk Free Way to Increase Profits
- 13/10/2010 - North East set to become UK Charity Insurance Capital
- 13/10/2010 - Staff Key to Success for North East's Leading Insurance Broker
- 15/12/2009 - Nursery Insurance and the questions to ask when buying
- 09/12/2009 - Nursery Insurance – how to get the very best deal
- 30/10/2009 - Top tips for buying community group insurance
- 27/10/2009 - Trustee Indemnity Insurance - how to protect charities trustees
- 27/10/2009 - Secrets finally revealed to cheaper motor trade insurance
- 26/10/2009 - Why you need trustee Indemnity Insurance
- 26/10/2009 - Essential tips for buying small charity insurance
- 23/10/2009 - The changing face of charitable gifts
- 22/10/2009 - Amazing facts that affect our children everyday
- 22/10/2009 - Risk Management advice for UK charities
- 20/10/2009 - What makes something the best in the world?
- 19/10/2009 - Why smarter charity promotion is needed
- 19/10/2009 - Online help for small charities hits the UK
- 15/10/2009 - Nursery insurance and why expert advice is essential
- 14/10/2009 - Identifying risks in the charity world
- 14/10/2009 - How much should nurseries be paying for insurance?
- 14/10/2009 - Essential tips for running a small charity on a budget
- 13/10/2009 - Church insurance and why religion is becoming a risky business
- 13/10/2009 - Community group insurance experts explain the secrets to success
- 06/10/2009 - Charity insurance - the secrets to getting yours for less
- 06/10/2009 - Charity insuranceb brokers NCI explain why charities must embrace technology
- 06/10/2009 - Charities and their fight for survival
- 06/10/2009 - Charity insurance experts explain why charities are becoming twits
- 02/10/2009 - Charity Insurance – the questions to ask when looking for cover
