February 14, 2012

BHF Shops celebrate record breaking Christmas!BHF charity shop

Our shops are pleased to announce a record breaking Christmas this year as like-for-like sales rose by 17.3% in the 5 weeks prior to Christmas Eve - generating a profit just short of £5 million.

This success is a £2.2 million rise on the previous year (2010-2011) making it our most profitable Christmas to date.

Our expanding network of Furniture & Electrical Stores, which specialise in second-hand furniture and electrical items, also reported a 13.3% growth in like-for-like sales.   

Clothing, knitwear, handbags and shoes were the strongest categories with significant increases of up to 29%.  Sofas and armchairs were the preferred choice in our Furniture & Electrical Stores with a 17% growth on those items.

Our Shops are proving a popular choice for shoppers keen to buy good quality items at low prices

Our Retail Director, Mike Lucas, said: “Our Shops are proving a popular choice for shoppers keen to buy good quality items at low prices.  The recession has seen a surge in people shopping with us - increasing sales dramatically. We’re extremely proud of the high standard of our shops and hope our customers agree that they have a very different feel from your stereotypical charity shop.

“Our main concern now is keeping up with demand. People aren’t updating their homes and wardrobes at the same rate anymore so they’re donating fewer second-hand items. I’d like to encourage people to support their local BHF shop by donating - helping us to continue our lifesaving work”.

Last year (2010-2011) our shops saw a profit of £26 million, an 18% rise on the previous year. This year the chain of over 700 Shops is hoping to bring in a profit of £30 million.