Toward an understanding of thrift store donors

Abstract

Abstract An increasing number of service organizations are developing thrift stores (or, second hand stores, charity shops) to raise resources to support their mission‐directed activities. Such stores seek donated merchandize…sell it …and use the proceeds to support their service efforts. The purpose of the study is to examine the processes by which thrift store donors: (a) determine that donation of pre‐owned merchandize is desirable, (b) get information about competing donation outlets, and (c) select which organization(s) are appropriate for their particular merchandize donation. A web survey was administered to assess these processes. The results will allow organizations to critically evaluate their existing thrift store practices against donor preferences in the interest of continuous improvement. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.