Charlotte: Okay, moving on to our next guest, if you don't mind introducing us and tell us what you do. I'm Nicola Fondel, founder of Life Now Coaching and I support organisations with women's health and menopause and making sure that their teams know the value of their health and really embedding women's health into their culture. So charity retail is ⁓ pretty heavily female dominant, so it's a quite important topic for our sector and you did two sessions at the CRA conference, so tell us the kind of key insights that you would want. Right, so let's welcome our very first guests. Can you introduce yourself and let us know where you're from? Absolutely. My name's Kyla Redfern and I'm the head of charity for Blue Skies Hospitals Fund, which is the local NHS charity on the Fylde coast. My name's Elliot Boardman. I am the retail assistant for Blue Skies. Right, we're on to our next guest then. So do wanna tell us who you are and what you do? So I'm Dawn Dungate from Dungate Consultancy. I'm an independent waste consultant. Right, let's move on to our next guest then. So we've got the guys from Nicest here. So they're an EPOS provider and we'll start you off easy. Tell us your names and what you do for Nicest. Okay, our next guests then. Can you tell us who you are and which charity you work for and what you do? So I'm Mary, Mary Walton. I'm retail area manager for Yorkshire Cancer Research. I am Charlie Baker. I am also with ICR Yorkshire Cancer Research and I am an area manager as well.

Amelia Cartwright: And a bit later in the conversation, you'll be joined by me, Mimi Cartwright. ⁓ I was lucky enough to attend the conference as a delegate this year with the charity I work for. However, I did get a little bit of an opportunity to pop in and have a bit of a chat. So you'll be hearing from me in a bit.

In-Person: Hi, my name's Neil. I'm acting head of shops for Marie Curie. I've been there about eight years now.

Charlotte: Right, so our next guests are from Minimist. So you might already remember Lauren, who was on our podcast before, previous shop manager of a charity shop, and Fab episode, so please do catch up on it if you get a chance. But to start off with, tell us your names, your roles, and what you do at Minimist.

In-Person: let's move on to our next guest then. So ⁓ would you mind telling me your names and which charity you come from and what you do?

Charlotte: Okay, so we have the keynote speaker with us Katherine Shuttleworth, who just gave us a great presentation. ⁓ So Katherine, tell us a little bit about yourself, background, you've been a podcast guest before. ⁓

In-Person: Okay, so we have ⁓ the speaker with us today, Shuttleworth, who just gave us a great presentation. ⁓ So Catherine, tell us a little about yourself, your background. You've been a podcast guest before, but ⁓ in case anyone stupidly hasn't listened your episode, ⁓ let us know a bit about I'm Nicola Fondel, founder of Life Now Coaching and I support organisations with women's health and menopause and making sure that their teams know the value of their health and really embedding women's health into their culture. I'm Mimi ⁓ ⁓ I am here at the CRA conference day one ⁓ chatting to ⁓ and Deirdre about worthwhile wardrobe in Glasgow. ⁓ Would you guys like introduce yourself and us a little bit about your findings? ⁓

Charlotte: I'm meaning. want to tell us where you're from, who you are, all that good stuff? Yeah, no sure, so I'm Julian Templett, so I head up retail marketing at the British Art Foundation. It's great to have you with us, so tell us, what's been your favourite session or the biggest insight or best idea from the conference so far? I'm Lisa Foster and I work for the Highland Hospice and I am the retail manager. Hi, I'm Maya, Maya Joseph-Hussain, Chief Executive at Cynthia Spencer Hospice. Hi, I'm Ruth Bain, I'm Head of Commercial at Cynthia Spencer Hospice. It's great to have you with us. So tell us, what's been your favourite session so far? Or your biggest insight or best idea from the conference? Well so far, we've just come out of the session now on superstores. I think that was really quite insightful because that focused on not just the benefits of superstores but also the risks as well. So I it's quite important to keep a handle on the risks. We're actually on a programme in manicurie of opening superstores so it's very informative.

In-Person: So I'm Mary, Mary Walton. I'm retail area manager for Yorkshire Cancer Research. I am Charlie Baker. I am also with YCR, Yorkshire Cancer Research, and I am an area manager as well. Absolutely, my name is Kyla Redfern and I'm the head of charity for Blue Skies Hospitals Fund which is the local NHS charity on the Fylde coast. My name is Elliot Boardman, I am the retail assistant for Blue Skies.

Charlotte: Hello and welcome to a special CRA conference edition of the Charity Shop podcast. I'm Charlotte Greenwood. theory about the work battle or do in glass game. in case anyone's stupidly hasn't listened to the Let us know a bit about you. Well, that's very kind. I'm Catherine Shuttleworth. I'm the CEO of Savvy, which is a retail and branding marketing agency. I spend some of my time doing that, and I spend some of my time talking to the media about all things retail, whether that's charity, whether it's big supermarkets, all sorts of things. And I probably do that once a week. Last week, I was talking about changing rooms for The Guardian. And it is my passion.

In-Person: So far, we've just come out of the session now on superstores. I think that was really quite insightful because that focused on not just the benefits of superstores but also the risks as well. I it's quite important to keep a handle on the risks. We're actually on a program in Marie Curie of opening superstores, so it's very informative.

Charlotte: Great to have area manager perspectives on the pod. So tell me what you've learned at the conference and what you found really valuable. so ⁓ I've just done a session ⁓ door on sustainability, ⁓ I found really interesting ⁓ an ethical perspective. ⁓ we talk about income a great deal. ⁓ also talk about volunteers. ⁓ talk about ⁓ into cancer. Chief Supporter Officer at Oxfam. Hello, I'm Rachel Cosgrove-Pearse and I'm the Retail Director also at Oxfam. So my name is Mark Wilkinson and I'm the BDM for Nicest. My name is Chris Richards and I'm the account manager. Fabulous. So tell us what is the one thing that you want our listeners, perhaps those who didn't come to the conference or those who weren't able to make any sessions about kind of things you're talking about or see you on the booth, what is the one thing you want listeners to take away from you guys today? Okay I think from this morning's sessions the biggest shift we've seen maybe from last

In-Person: Thank you both for joining us. Would you like to share if you've had a favourite session so far or what insights you've learned? name's Mark Wilkinson, I'm the BDM for NYSYST. My name's Chris Richards and the account manager. ⁓

Charlotte: for the conference so far. I think to start, mean first of all just to start with I think Mark Russell to start with that was a great session. I think we all need a bit of a pump up. Now and again that passion came through so strong I think you know during some you know quite tough times in the sector I think just to remind us of the why I think was really really powerful and I think from that just trying to remember to get the teams back to connecting to the actual cause and why we're here so I thought that was really powerful. ⁓ Brilliant, So tell me, what's one thing that you've learned from the conference today? Yeah, absolutely. I think for me, I've always maintained when I'm working with charities that, you know, everything has to be done correctly because you're protecting your name and your brand.

Amelia Cartwright: I am delighted to be joined by a special guest co-host, Hannah Wheat from the Charity Retail Association. Thanks Charlotte. It's great to be here. I'm Hannah Wheat and I joined the Charity Retail Association in 2024 ⁓ as communications assistant. I also manage social media for Charity Shop gift card and have been championing charity shops through my own social media platforms for more than a decade. I actually started my charity retail journey as a volunteer when I was 18 before moving into a paid role.

Charlotte: Thank you and thank you for having us along, Mimi. ⁓ my name's Kat Duffy, I'm a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow based in the Adam Smith Business School. And I'm Deirdre Shaw, I'm Professor of Consumer Ethics and Sustainability also at the Adam Smith Business School. As always, the Charity Shop Chat podcast is powered by the Charity Retail Consultancy, supporting charities with expert retail guidance, strategy and training to help maximise income and impact. If you're regular listener, you'll know that we're normally joined by a guest for a longer conversation a particular topic affecting charity retail. But for this special conference episode, we're doing things a little bit differently. ⁓ Throughout the CRA conference, we've been chatting to lots of different delegates

In-Person: So I'm Anna, I'm one of the co-founders at Minimist. ⁓ And joined about one and a half years ago ⁓ because was working ⁓ in secondhand space already. And then it just felt like ⁓ it sense to join the team. And in Minimist, I'm mostly responsible for the fundraising and operations side of the business.

Charlotte: I can't say I've had a favourite session so far because actually every single session I've attended so far has been really insightful, energising, refocusing and I've just taken so much from every speaker and from everyone that I've engaged with and networked with. he didn't manage to attend to take away? ⁓ yeah good question. So I ran a session on menopause workplace and culture and one on menopause and you which was directed more towards the individual woman who may herself be experiencing menopause or perhaps thinking about someone in her team and I think the overall theme from both of those sessions is that menopause begins with awareness, it's really important to have people have the right information and

In-Person: ⁓ yeah, good question. So I ran a session on menopause, workplace and culture and one on menopause and you, which was directed more towards the individual woman who may herself be experiencing menopause or perhaps thinking about someone in her team. And I think the overall theme from both of those sessions is that menopause begins with awareness. It's really important to have people have the right information.

Charlotte: one of my first sessions was networking with others in similar role which I took quite a lot from. It was nice to speak to others and hear ideas and also know that you're not alone in some of the challenges that you face as well. ⁓ So yeah, found that very worthwhile. ⁓ And we have been here talking to people about our project in collaboration with the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, focused on a worthwhile wardrobe. ⁓ we presented some of our emergent learnings from our rental model ⁓ in terms of implications for charity retail. So

In-Person: If you're a regular listener, you'll know that we're normally joined by a guest for a longer conversation a particular topic affecting charity retail. But for this special conference episode, we're doing things a little bit differently. ⁓ Throughout the CRA conference, we've been chatting to lots of different delegates, speakers, exhibitors, and charity retail professionals find out what's really resonated with them during the event. ⁓

Charlotte: and my life retail really. session did you do this morning? ⁓ I a networking session this morning. ⁓ How the networking session? Yeah, pretty good. It was in the main exhibition hall so ⁓ it sort suppliers and heads of retail as well all networking together. ⁓ Good brilliant. Well thank you very much for joining us. ⁓ No problem. you. ⁓ where there was a lot of talk about things like low working and stuff which still remains very high on everyone's agenda. There is a real shift to sort of deeper insights and I don't know if that's because the market is the way it is now but people want figures and different analytical figures that they can really compare. I think there's some sophistication we see in the market now with people who've had the opportunity to learn what data is available to them and what they can do with it. What people want to see now is a kind of a split between the immediate day-to-day operational

In-Person: Thank you very much for joining us. Would you like to share some pearls of wisdom that you've had from the conference?

Charlotte: but sustainability and how that affects everybody is not something we use as a big objective and that's something I found really interesting and that's something I'd like to really take back and see where we can go with that really. Waste is one of those areas that so easily can go really, really wrong. And we need to support that as much as we possibly can. So for me, it's do a waste audit. Because you could be saving yourselves lots of money just by monitoring your waste invoice. So I'm talking ⁓ you your general waste management company invoice that comes in. So it's your recycling bin, your general waste bin, and unfortunately, Yeah, very similar actually. I certain things. I came to the conference with, you know, some particular things that I wanted to learn more about and in particular e-commerce because that's something that we're looking at for our next commercial venture. I went to the Minimist.

Amelia Cartwright: And since then I've worked with both national and regional charities to promote secondhand shopping and highlight the incredible impact charity shops have in our communities. I'm really excited to be joining you to put today's conversation.

Charlotte: I've really enjoyed the customer of the future session and really sort of ⁓ just talking through the basics ⁓ of charity retailing, understanding why we're here and the importance of purpose to customers.

In-Person: and I'm emphasizing right there because there's a lot of misinformation around menopause out there, but really making sure that everyone, men especially, we've had that highlighted in both sessions, men really need to become allies in this conversation. So helping everyone in your team to understand what menopause is, why it's happening, why it can have the impact and create the kind of symptoms that it does. So that's the first thing. And then the other... biggest shift we've seen maybe from last year where there was a lot of talk about things like learn working and stuff which still remains very high on everyone's agenda there is a real shift to sort of deeper insights and I don't know if that's because the market is the way it is now but people want figures and different analytical figures that they can really compare. I think there's some sophistication we see in the market now with people who've had the opportunity to learn what data is available to them and what they can do with it. What people want to see now is a kind of a split between the We wanted to capture the energy, ideas and conversations happening here at the conference and give you a flavour of what's been inspiring people over the last couple of days. So rather than one guest, you'll hear from lots of different voices from across the sector, sharing their favourite sessions, biggest insights and best ideas.

Charlotte: Well I mean think the thing I'm always blown away by when I come and I was at the dinner last night and saw the awards ⁓ is how much innovation and creativity there is in charity retail sector. ⁓ we're really interested in how to get those good quality garments that people have hoarded in the back of their wardrobes that they feel that are too good to give to charity into circulation into a circular ⁓ retail model. ⁓ So our projects focused on ⁓ occasion wear and because those are garments that tend to be high value, maybe spent a lot on them but low utilisation, so they're maybe not warm.

In-Person: night and saw the awards is how much innovation and creativity there is in the charity retail sector and also that sense of togetherness and sharing challenges because there are a lot of challenges in the retail world right now but also sharing what goes well and I think that is the whole as a sector that's what makes this really really positive and it's a positive time and I would encourage anybody who's not been this year who might be listening to the podcast ⁓ And I'm Lauren. And so chances are if you're the UK and you're going to talk to Minimist, you be talking to So the UK sales exec. ⁓

Charlotte: ⁓ And I'm Lauren. ⁓ so chances are if you're the UK and going to talk Minimist, you will talking to me. So I'm the UK sales exec. ⁓ And ⁓ you probably know from the podcast that I've been in the charity retail space for five now. We've been past the five year anniversary.

In-Person: I went to the simpler recycling one, so to just prepare for when we do get our shop eventually. There's lots of things I've never even heard of. Ragmen, which is something we need to look into, and all the rules on recycling and how you need food waste and stuff. So it was very interesting to learn it all.

Charlotte: ⁓ And you know and then we were talking to people in the same industry afterwards and how things have moved on to help with ⁓ e-commerce becoming much more ⁓ workable profitable so on and so forth ⁓ and then speakers ⁓ I have to say the one we've just had Katherine was very inspiring very authentic and really interesting information about consumer behaviors I went to a great session called Show Me The Money, so I was immediately obviously attracted to that particular one. ⁓ What was really great was to hear from four different charities on different income opportunities, income streams, such as loyalty, roundup, gift aid, etc. Coupons, that was very interesting, something that we haven't looked into in detail yet. But yeah, it was just good to hear from the individual charities.

In-Person: immediate day-to-day operational data and the insights so you can look at your reports and very, very quickly pull out what's important and go and actually act on it, not spend a lot of time sitting looking at data. And then at the other end of the scale, the big push towards integration and using APIs to get as much data as you can out of various programs and bring it all into one place so that you are then able to work with that with a complete picture of what's going on in your organization.

Charlotte: also that sense of togetherness and sharing challenges, because there are a lot of challenges in the retail world right now, but also sharing what goes well. I think that is the whole as a sector, that's what makes this really, really positive. And it's a positive time. And I would encourage anybody who's not been this year, who might be listening to the podcast, come along because you meet people who just share their day to day. And I think that's always the most powerful thing, talking to your peers about what's going on in the industry. speakers, exhibitors and charity retail professionals to find out what's really resonated with them during the event. We wanted to capture the energy, ideas and conversations happening here at the conference and give you a flavour of what's been inspiring people over the last couple of days. So rather than one guest, you'll hear from lots of different voices from across the sector sharing their favourite sessions, biggest insights and best ideas. Whether you're here at the conference with us, listening afterwards or couldn't make it this year, we hope you'll pick up some practical ideas and inspiration to take back to your own. your food waste bin. waste, All those tea bags. The tea bags, I know, but those tea bags are really, really sort of signifying where this sector's going from waste perspective and the costs. But it's looking at your invoice and seeing when you're being charged, whatever it may be, 10, 12, 20 pounds. And show me the money, was a number of charities and some of the innovative things they've been doing. actually that brought up things like coupons, which I think is really interesting because the UK public love a coupon. And I think the opportunities to start using QR codes and coupons drive sales, I think is a new area for the sector to start looking at more. organisation. have been learning, discussing and getting excited about.

In-Person: and big focus, especially if the first session was around culture and how menopause is no longer a well-being conversation, but it's really a strategic inclusion topic and something that needs to be embedded into the heart of your culture. And that very much links to the second session where I was speaking more to women who might be experiencing the changes themselves in that those women need... have been learning, discussing and getting excited about.

Charlotte: Well, you're in the right place to find a ragman because there's plenty of them downstairs in the exhibition ready to tell you what they do. And also, if you guys need a town crier, I'm also a town crier for living. Oh really? You might need a ragman, but if you need a town crier, I'm your girl. Do we get a little bit of a preview of this? I that's fine. Might as well do a little preview. As much. So it's the sort of thing that you maybe need to access, but you don't necessarily need to own taking up space in your home. So we have established a retail model where those donations then get sold through worthwhile wardrobe but then get re donated back in to maximize the value of the donation for the hospice through multiple points of sale. So ⁓ supporting

In-Person: come along because you meet people who just share their day to day and I think that's always the most powerful thing, talking to your peers about what's going on in the industry. Is there anything particular in Catherine's session that stood out for you?

Charlotte: data and the insights so you can look at your reports and very very quickly pull out what's important and go and actually act on it, not spend a lot of time sitting looking at data and then at the other end of the scale the big push towards integration and using APIs to get as much data as you can out of various programs and bring it all into one place so that you are then able to work with that with a complete picture of what's going on in your organisation. And I think we've seen that right across the board was you Yeah, I think, you know, what she was saying about how much leverage we've got, if that's the right word, in charity retail for the emerging next generation as well. And it's playing to our strengths. And I thought it was really interesting when she said that charity retail isn't the same as the circular economy, because the differences with charity retail are the causes that we raise funds for. And we've got to shout about that more.

In-Person: If you guys need a town crier, I'm also a town crier for living. So you might need a red man, but if you need a town crier, I'm your girl.

Charlotte: Fab. ⁓ And obviously this podcast is aimed for people who haven't been able to attend the conference this year ⁓ Have you got any wisdom that you learned from having conversations with different retailers I think the things I would say is that whether you're in We've seen that from the charity that come to see us two or three shops. So the charity that has come to see us with tens, hundreds of shops, all looking for that same answer and that same data in past. And the technical questions as well. So we've got the IT people asking us ⁓ Right so you did a session at the conference ⁓ so tell us of the key takeaway ⁓ for those who didn't manage to make it the conference that you would want them ⁓ to hear. ⁓ pounds per bin for it to be collected, what your overcharge is, so that's come from your overweights. How many times is a shop going overweight? Is it because they don't know what they're putting in their bins and they're putting the wrong thing in there, or is it because they've not got enough bins and you could be saving yourself more money by giving them another bin because you're given a certain allowance? So that allowance is really, really important, but it's understanding it. And I know that, I'm honest, especially for the hospices and things. things like the ability to donate at the till, you know that I think when you now go and you shop anywhere, know co-op test goes wherever you go, you know that ask for 20p10v and whatever, think that's becoming more commonplace, I think there's a real opportunity there. So yes, it's been a good morning, I it's some great content. Brilliant, what kind of coupons were they doing?

In-Person: to know that they are supported and need to know the people in their teams understand and can empathize with what they're going through and that there isn't any reason to feel fear and to go quiet and step back and feel shame around how they might be changing. So yeah, I culture is such a huge topic for organizations to begin shifting towards instead of just focusing on well-being as very individual topics and items. that right across the board, we're seeing that from the charity that have come to see us two or three shops and the charity that has come to see us with hundreds of shops, all looking for that same answer and that same data in And the technical questions as well. Oh

Charlotte: Oh yay! Oh yay! It's very easy to forget about that and then the impact. Greetings to everybody at the Charity Retail Conference 2026. God save the King! ⁓ my god, that's amazing! We need you downstairs getting people up here rolling up roll up come to do the podcast. the first row is the best and we were you first. Yeah absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for joining us. social sustainability in terms of maximizing value for the hospice, but also ecological sustainability in terms of prolonging the life of that garment and keeping it in circulation for as long as possible. Absolutely, and I think that's ⁓ our superpower as charities and I think it's really our space to own so it's what can really sort of differentiate us from from commercial retailers and people are looking for that now we see sort of Gen Z generation ⁓ It's really important ⁓ to them so I think it's something that we really need to about the power where you can purchase a pair of jeans from an online platform you can purchase a pair of jeans from a so key takeaways probably from our session, was how best to list, ⁓ what is creating those winning listings, ⁓ that retailers are selling ⁓ three or more marketplaces, they generate 143 % revenue than on single So a big part of Minimist is you've created that listing ⁓ why not?

In-Person: think the things I would say is that whether you're in one of biggest retailers in

Charlotte: They were doing a range of coupons, they were doing both percent shops. They might do something like 20 % off books coupon, or they might do like a five pound voucher when you spend a certain amount in different categories. So you can imagine you can start running different coupons at different times through the seasons. You could link it to Christmas. They were talking about Christmas cards, link to Christmas gifts. I think it just creates a reason to get people to come into the shop. ⁓

In-Person: Yeah. And and I think when she said we need to own that space in the circular economy actually because pre loved shopping started with us. You know, it wasn't vintage, it wasn't ebay, we own that space and we need to take that back. ⁓ so yeah.

Charlotte: biggest retailers in the UK at the minute, very corporate organisation or whether you're running a small charity retail organisation, the challenges are similar and they're around. understanding how that will happen. So, like from United perspective with the APIs, that's becoming very much ⁓ the route to integration from the older Excel spreadsheets and imports. and open-ended APIs as well. If look at Marketplace Connect, for example, we were getting a lot of requests for integration with Vinted, for example. And then we've heard from a number of people asking that, ⁓ no, we're not doing that anymore. We've moved on to Wattnod, for example, and things like that. So we've, Well, that's all we've got time for for the special CRA conference edition of the Charity Shop Chat Podcast. the retail guys have got to everything about every different sector. We're HR, health and safety, volunteers, shopfronts, making it look pretty because that's what's most important. But these are the sorts of things that we can really, really save money on really, really easily. ⁓ But you've just got to able to just the key thing to look at. And it doesn't take much, ⁓ but it

In-Person: amazing. ⁓ Thank you so much for telling us a little bit more about it. ⁓ I actually was lucky enough to sit in on your session which was fantastic and I feel like I learnt a lot. ⁓ But do you guys feel like you have learnt or you've gained a lot from the conference and would you mind telling us a little bit more about what you feel you've learnt and gained today? ⁓ The challenges are similar and they're around this lack of confidence for consumers. People are not spending money, whether that's a charity shop, whether it's in...

Charlotte: they're going through and that there isn't any reason to feel fear and to go quiet and you know step back and feel shame around how they might be changing. yeah I think culture is such a huge topic for organizations to begin shifting towards instead of just focusing on well-being as very individual topics and items. Yeah because the myth is that menopause is just about hot flushes isn't it? And unfortunately the joys of being women

In-Person: Mm-hmm Yeah, an open-ended API as well if you look at marketplace connect for example we were getting a lot of requests for Integration with vinted for example and then we've heard from a number of people asking that ⁓ no We're not doing that anymore. We've moved on to what not for example and and things like that so we've we've actually just launched a product called marketplace connect, which is an open-ended integration that will work with any online sales platform so you can bring those sales in and get the gift aid and

Charlotte: this lack of confidence for consumers. People are not spending money, whether that's in a charity shop, whether it's in Marks and Spencers. And I think people are feeling that same pressure and wondering where the sales have gone and thinking, what can we do about it? Is it our fault? What are the challenges? ⁓ And that alongside finding good people who are committed ⁓ and can really help your organization move forward. They're the two things I would say people are talking about. And I think that's a really important point you're making there. Actually, Charity Retail was pioneering in that reuse, reuse, vintage sector. And actually, we carved the path that now lots of commercial retail are joining us on that journey. But actually, we pioneered. And I think we have an opportunity here to reshape some of that, re-influence it, redesign it, and continue spearheading this movement of let's reduce waste. is much more than that and there's there's so many more symptoms that I had no idea about kind of like the brain fog definitely experiencing that and it's just outrageous things won't stick in my head like I will change dates around it's just yeah painful yeah and so we talked a lot about the ripple effects of those because it is common to just think about menopause especially as brain fog mood swings maybe some sleep disruption the hot flushes and tibics cross-list it to as many platforms as possible, Vinted, which is a big topic here at the conference. eBay of course, which lots of people are selling on. We did some diving actually,

In-Person: think people are feeling that same pressure and wondering where the sales have gone and thinking what can we do about it? Is it our fault?

Charlotte: shop that will add social value and impact. with existing customers to come back and spend money. So I think as long as the numbers stack up. I think I've learned a lot so far and we've only been here for the morning. I think from the keynote ideas around hope, I think is something that really resonates, especially with such challenging times that people are operating within. ⁓ I think something that really resonates with our work is the idea of connection and stories and really how you mobilize that human connection to people and I think that's so important.

In-Person: finding good people who are committed and can really help your organisation move forward. They're the two things I would say people are about. What's good about that in a way, it sounds like a negative, is everybody's in the same boat so it's not like people are in a different place and I think this is a bit of a lull. It's difficult to see how we're going to come out of it quickly but I'm hopeful that we will see some growth in the economy. Yeah, and so we talked a lot about the ripple effects of those because it is common to just think about menopause, especially as brain fog, mood swings, maybe some sleep disruption, the hot flushes. And typically that's what we've really understood menopause to be. But it is...

Charlotte: Children's Society. I think he did a really good job of pumping us all up to go. ⁓ the data looks as though it backs it up, that end up spending more even though you've given away coupons it looks like, which is why the big players all do it, it looks like it could be real winner so it's brave but if you test and learn as you go I think that could be big for the sector in the future so I think that was really good. And what's the format today? Is it almost like a test of a club card mail and you get coupons in the mail or is it if you purchase something you then give the mail a thank you coupon and say next time you come in you get this? Yeah it was actually they were doing it more digitally so you can about keeping your eye on that ball.

In-Person: We've some fantastic insights, practical ideas and reflections from people right across the charity retail sector. One of the things I love most about events like this is the opportunity to learn from each other. ⁓ So you've been in charity retail for 20 years or 20 days, there's always a new idea, or useful takeaway waiting to be discovered.

Charlotte: What's good about that in a way, sounds like a negative, is everybody's in the same boat, so it's not like people are in a different place. And I think this is a bit of a lull. It's difficult to see how we're going to come out of it quickly, but I'm hopeful that we will see some growth in the economy.

In-Person: and record the sales, et cetera.

Charlotte: Let's share pre-loved items and let's fund invaluable causes that help so many in the UK and globally.

In-Person: a huge physiological and mental change that has so many ripples beyond just that individual who's experiencing the symptoms. It really does impact those she works alongside, other people who are managing her, customers even, and then of course, personally, relationships, children, in our family and social groups. yeah, that awareness piece links very much to that as well, not just what menopause is and what the symptoms might be, but what...

Charlotte: This is ⁓

In-Person: Absolutely, and we do it with authority, don't we? We don't d it's not greenwashing, we're not sticking a stamp on it like she said. yeah, we do it with authority, we do it sincerity ⁓ and there's the good cause behind it as well. So

Charlotte: I think 99 % of charity retailers at the CRA are selling on eBay and I think only 6 % are selling on Vinted but actually 48 % of the UK population are buying on Vinted so there's a massive massive swing there between where we should be selling and where the buyers actually are. Lots of work, lots of thought about Within the charity space. And I noticed that even on your cards it says charity shops are full of stories that deserve to be told and we love sharing them with you. So I think definitely the idea of storytelling is something that's come out of our work, but is also really nice to see that it's been highlighted at the conference as well. and people will start to get back into high streets and start spending again. But at the moment, it's hard yards. So that's not really wisdom, is it? But that's more a state of the nation as we see it. think what I'm hearing from lots of people is about creativity is the way through this. So what is a creative way of...

In-Person: and people will start to get back into high streets and start spending again. But at the moment, it's hard yards. So that's not really wisdom, is it? That's more a state of the nation, as we see it. think, you know, what I'm hearing from lots of people is about creativity is the way through this. So what is a creative way of perhaps changing your business model, streamlining what you do, finding new opportunities to talk to shoppers?

Charlotte: so it looks like no... back in the dark age... No, people still do, so there ⁓ is still a percentage people still doing the coupons, all being mailed coupons in the posts, like Tesco's, you know, so there's still a percentage but increasingly it's coming from apps and digital, by QR codes, coupons now, are taking up the majority. The good thing with that as well is you can... There is and we it with great passion, enthusiasm and laughter as well. And I think there's some real exciting elements that we bring to Charity of Retail and as sector we should be incredibly proud of the opportunities we provide for the volunteers and the wider communities in which our sites exist across the country.

In-Person: I think the Ecom plays a big part into what you were saying before about ethical side of our waste and how we do.

Charlotte: how to make your listings look like first-hand retail let's make your listings look like that and stand out from the crowd ⁓ for the fight of their lives ⁓ on e-commerce channels and hopefully we can help you and I think heard a slight you know an gasp when you showed the fact that you photograph a ⁓ lay of clothing and then ⁓

In-Person: is the cost and impact of all of those symptoms to an individual and beyond.

Charlotte: perhaps changing your business model, streamlining what you do, finding new opportunities to talk to shoppers. That's interesting. And there's a lot of that today around live events. I was talking to somebody last night about.

In-Person: things. There's such a market on there. mean like vintage resellers, wholesalers, you know they're buying reuse items from companies like just disgust so why can't we look at how we do that within us without having to then waste. Yeah exactly like we can just do ourselves or even just bulk sell like people buy books.

Charlotte: menopause is and what the symptoms might be but what is the cost and impact of all of those symptoms to an individual and beyond. And what is the impact in the workplace then that you typically find?

In-Person: Well, starting with the individual, she holds herself back, begins to go quiet because she's second guessing herself, doubting herself. You as you said, if you're experiencing brain fog and you're forgetting key information, someone in the last session talks about how they were really struggling at multitasking, yet they'd always been a good multitasker, not feeling motivated. So that can create a story in that woman's head that she isn't of value anymore, that she's passed her prime, that she's not.

Charlotte: I've had a two year break and what's been great ⁓ is ⁓ seeing lots of new faces but catching up with colleagues who've been around the sector a while and just really checking in ⁓ and as Rachel was saying, sort of hearing their experiences and that's great, such a sharing sector. But also to look at innovation and what's new ⁓ and I always leave, I've been to many conferences over the years and I always It's just so much easier isn't it? can literally just, know, once you've got the technology you can just, then you can look at respond to trade opportunities etc and then run those through to your existing customers. I still think there's a place for coupons in the shops for banks, bank vouchers and things like that. So I think there's opportunities. Just thinking of that mindset which for the charity sector is probably a bit new to a lot of people. And hopefully today's episode has given those of you listening home a flavour of the conversations that have ⁓ at the conference. ⁓ it's given you some inspiration to take back your own shops.

In-Person: I was talking to somebody last night there, Lock-Ins, we'd been talking to them last night at dinner. And you can actually reach a whole new audience as a charity retailer through doing things online. let's say you're in a small town somewhere and you've got a shop, that's a fairly limited audience, I think the ability of social shopping and going live, certainly makes that bigger. But that is quite scary for lots And when you talk about laughter, that's another point that she made, wasn't she, about the emergence of live shopping. ⁓ so eBay Live, TikTok Live, ⁓ whatnot. The younger generation are really starting to use that as one of their primary shopping habits. And and she made a good point in terms of charity retail are already doing a lot of elements of that in terms of its community, its human connection, its discovery.

Charlotte: lock-ins, we've been talking to them last night over dinner, weren't ⁓ And you can actually reach a whole new audience as a charity retailer through doing things online. if, let's say, you're in a small town somewhere and you've got a shop, that's a fairly limited audience. I think the ability of social shopping and going live suddenly makes that bigger. But that is quite scary for a lot of people. So what's been interesting at this conference is you can talk to people who've done it and find out how it was for them. I think it's it's been really good to talk to people. It's been really valuable that ⁓ I was in a session this morning on ⁓ waste and compliance and ⁓ seems like there's a lot of ⁓ regulatory changes coming and people have a ⁓ And I think data has more important because unfortunately is tough ⁓ economic climate out there, ⁓ is really hard ⁓ and so boards want more reassurance that charity retail is still worth ⁓ investing in. They see all headlines about ⁓ BHF has closed hundreds of stores etc and they get little bit

In-Person: It's like jewelry, don't they? Like you'd sell a big bag of 20kg of jewelry so you can craft it and that type of thing. So think both the things we've done so far have really interlinked with each other. Yeah, they really have.

Charlotte: tool puts it onto a model and it looks like a normal website just really really realistic no ten fingers on one hand and I think that was really good because people do shop based on you know thinking ⁓ would I look like this in that top or those jeans or anything so I think that was a really interesting part of your tool that would help people to sell more. Anna's done a lot of work with the models there like her babies. I think yeah. teams and organisations. We'd like to extend a huge, huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the charity retail consultancy stand to share their conference highlights with us and stopped in to the podcast studio here at the conference ⁓ to chat with us today. lot to deal with in terms of the operations ⁓ and just the day-to-day reality of what charity retail looks like at the moment. But from like our session, talking to people that are enthusiastic and passionate about future profune charity retail and how sustainability and circularity can help support that. And I think that's been really, yeah, encouraging to hear. worry about giving away money. You've got to be really thoughtful about when you're using them and what on. I think it's an interesting area to start to test and then explore.

In-Person: you know, at the job and can begin to just withdraw and go quiet, less visible, not speaking up in meetings, not going for promotion. So, you know, there's little things in her own job and where that she goes about the job. But then there is a bigger ripple out in the organization in terms of taking on more responsibility and, you know, stepping up into leadership roles or roles with greater responsibility, progressing a career.

Charlotte: So you can craft it and that type of thing. So think both the things we've done so far are really interlinked with each other. Yeah, they really have. Yeah. Great. And what sessions are you looking forward to then? modern volunteering, which I like. Volunteers are my favorite people. Meeting different people from different backgrounds. leave with a new idea or two and I think the fact that it's been road tested first by others is it just gives some confidence and so yeah you leave with a full toolkit.

In-Person: So what's been interesting at this conference is you can talk to people who've done it and find out how.

Charlotte: nervous and then they say right what's going on tell me the exact performance and they want more and more detail and evidence to support them saying yeah you know retail is fine and then charity retailers obviously you guys know have so many jobs to do so many hats to wear to do this never ends so they want data that's accessible quick to analyze the conclusions are really ready to see so that they can act on things quickly I think the ready to see there is the perfect thing because it.

In-Person: but the one thing that is missing is entertainment. And and behind the scenes we have a lot of inter entertainment. You have to when you you're sorting through donations and the ⁓ the kind of stuff that we get. but how do we use entertainment ⁓ externally with our audience, with our customers, to draw them in? Yeah, think Bernardo's did a session about eBay Live. And I've seen some small hospices like Florence Nightingale Hospice. They've done two eBay Lives now. And they found it really, really popular. And they've seen new customers come through. They've sold their stock. So it's definitely something that is emerging. And in your session, you spoke about P. Louise, which was a really good case study. So tell us about that for those who weren't able to hear that.

Charlotte: Behind the scenes we have a lot of internet. think for me, ⁓ this year, it's been such a great job with all the different sessions. So I did find it really difficult to pick on some of them and almost wanted to go to two or three at the same time. So we've tried to manage that as a group. ⁓ But I think the inspiration. So when you are doing your day to day and getting caught up in your teams meetings, shop visits, et cetera, writing your reports, you can just get caught up in your own little bubble. ⁓

In-Person: Anna's done a lot of work with the models there, like her babies. I think yeah, I mean it was personally a lot of fun to work on this but then also I'm part of Gen Z and we've been talking already a bit about this but like it's quite complex generation to summarize I think but like one interesting thing that I saw a lot is that in a lot of European countries SheIn is probably like the second most downloaded app and then Vinted is like

Charlotte: And of course a huge, thank you to the Charity Association for another brilliant year of for bringing together so many passionate people from across our sector. get to do that anywhere else apart from charity retail and a modern volunteering I think we can be quite set in our head that you have to do this shift it has to be then and it's okay to drop in and drop out and I see that in some shops but I don't see that all the time and I want to see explore how that works maybe a little bit more. Yeah and I think it's coming back to one of the points she made around the community hubs. So we have these amazing retail, charity retail sites across the country. Actually how can we refocus them? How can we make them community hubs? How can we branch out and do different things in those spaces? And with that will come ⁓ inclusive communities, will that will come greater opportunities for the communities to engage and volunteer and support and donate.

In-Person: But it can also affect the culture within a team. know, if someone starts to withdraw, seems a bit more moody, know, not quite themselves, gossip starts, what's going on, why is she like that? So yeah, it can just be like the starting point for a whole chain reaction of lots of different things. I definitely agree, it's been such a lovely and hopeful first part of the

Charlotte: in the past to get that data for a head of retail or even area manager to get that data to the board, to hours and hours of work where you should be doing something that's more productive to get the shops doing what they should be doing. So to have that as a touch of a button or a scheduled report that goes out to the boards or the trustees. Yeah, the right data, the right people. We've got a lot in there now where you can customize reports, schedule reports, customize dashboards so that be you a shop manager right up to a trustee or head retail, whatever. So P Louise is a girl called Paige Louise Williams. She lives in Manchester. She's I think she's 30 ish. And she has got one of the most successful TikTok businesses in the country. And she sells beauty products, so lipsticks, blushers, highlighters, that kind of thing. And she was the first person to sell a million pounds with the product on a TikTok live show. And her sales this year are anticipated to be 138,000.

In-Person: you've enjoyed today's episode don't forget to follow the podcast, a review and share it with a colleague, volunteer or friend who loves charity retail as much as we do.

Charlotte: seems a bit more moody, know, quite themselves, gossip starts, what's going on, why is she like that? So yeah, can just be like the starting point for a whole chain reaction of lots of different things. So what do you think workplaces should do to support women through this stage? Well,

In-Person: the third most downloaded app and it's kind of yeah a conflicting thing and but yeah like what I see like also in my bubble is that like people do shop first hand and second hand and mix it up and now we have finally the technology and the tools to like make it

Charlotte: coming here is really inspirational because as Lorna said, you get to speak to others, you get inspired and ideas start coming through or thoughts that you had previously. So I'll come away with lots of ideas, lots of notes in my notebook of what I want to take away. follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with a colleague, volunteer or friend who loves charity retail as much as we do. You can also follow the Retail Consultancy on LinkedIn, Instagram Facebook for more charity retail insights and updates. ⁓ thank you very much. Thank you. ⁓

In-Person: Well, what I'm gonna say first is that the women themselves have a responsibility, and this was brought up in both sessions in different ways, but especially in the first session around workplace culture, was that you can offer support, but people don't always take it and don't always do anything to improve how they feel in their situation. And I called out that one of the things I'm a big advocate of,

Charlotte: and go on to fundraisers and do lots of other wonderful things for charities as well. And with that will come joy and a sense of belonging and ⁓ a sense of pride for those communities in which these charity shops reside. I think also, I was just thinking about entertainment ⁓ in both in our reuse shop on the recycling site and our big superstore. The teams are creating entertainment through their posts.

In-Person: think the ready to see there is the perfect thing because in the past to get that data for a head of retail or even area manager, to get that data to the board took hours and hours of work when you should be doing something that's more productive to get the shops doing what they should be doing. So to that as a touch of a button or a scheduled report that goes out to the boards or the trustees. Yeah, the right data to the right people. We've got a lot in there now where you can customize reports, schedule reports, customize dashboards so that be you a shop manager right up to a trustee or head of retail, whatever, you can log into the system or log into the app and immediately see the data that's relevant to you rather than have to dig through it to see what you're looking for. ⁓ The other point about data, course, is as you say, it's tough out there. It's all about incremental gains. There aren't a lot of easy wins left. So when you've implemented something new or when you're testing something, to be able to very, very quickly and easily see for yourself but demonstrate to other people the impact it's having, that's becoming more the same as first-hand and I think the models are super important part in that. ⁓ And I think we also like our report about the models and like how much you can increase conversion and so on really shows it also in the numbers. can also follow the charity consultancy LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for more retail insights and updates. ⁓ And we'd love to hear what your biggest takeaway from the conference was, Yeah, well said, definitely.

Charlotte: million pounds all through TikTok, tis crazy and she started this business off with a 20,000 pound loan from her Nana. She's got no outward investors. And what's really interesting about P. Louise is that her brand has just been taken into, I think it's, I said this morning, I it's 17 boot stores across the UK. And boots have gone to her to say, we want some of P. Louise in our shops to encourage new shoppers. So I think that's really interesting about the growth of some of these young retailers who are coming at retail in a different way. Something really fascinating about that.

In-Person: and work with organizations on is helping each person to know their own responsibility when it comes to their wellbeing. Because especially with younger people, there's almost an expectation that organizations are just going to look after them, are just gonna make things all right for them. So, you know, we have a responsibility individually to acknowledge we don't feel right, but also the organization needs to make it psychologically safe to say that out loud and talk to someone in... please do get in touch and continue the conversation and follow us on all social media platforms.

Charlotte: It's great as well because a lot of the workshops they're towards so many different positions within your charity retail as well so it's great to take along some of the shop managers, area managers, retail and again that's that time to inspire them ⁓ which is really great to see and then for them to take it to their shops and filter down to shop assistants and volunteers so I think it's not just a conference just for one level, it's for everybody. ⁓ We've got live videos of this is my favourite outfit and various different things. Videos showing people how to get to our shop, driving past Sainsbury's and past Nando's and that kind of thing. So much so that our reuse shop is now in excess of 4,000 followers. And we've only been there, what, seven months? So that's entertainment as well, online entertainment, yeah. So until next time, ⁓ ch shops are full stories that deserve to told ⁓ and we love sharing them with you. Woo! ⁓ I love sharing that with you. And you

In-Person: Charity shops are full of stories that deserve to be told and we love sharing them with you. And you. Bye! and more important. So much so that the our our reuse shop is now in excess of four thousand followers. Wow. because she'll have that younger audience online, the younger customer. Now she's moved into physical stores, there's going to be a whole new crop of customers that she's going to get. So she's only going to get bigger. So any nanas out there that would like to invest in us? ⁓ And and that's entertainment as well, online. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, Catherine is a marketing expert and it just goes to show that I I always think marketing is one of the sorely uninvested or underinvested elements for charities. ⁓ they really just don't put enough money behind it. I get it, budgets are tight, but when you invest in marketing, everything shows a return on investment, your income generation through retail. the team, your manager, or whoever the right person might be in the organization about that. So there's lots of things. There are practical things like having a policy and knowing where that policy accessible, what's in the policy, knowing that it's all ⁓ in practice, not just in writing. ⁓ course, there are things around flexible working and ⁓ in that sense. ⁓ there's a lot more around what

Charlotte: Any Nanas out there that would like to invest in Best bank is the bank of Nana it turns out. And I think that's the, you know, it's a way through that is different and it's about...

In-Person: thank you both so much for what you've been doing and all your amazing research and for hopping on and having a chat with us today. ⁓ Thank Bye.

Charlotte: Thanks, Mimi. turning the model on its head isn't it and thinking about how would I survive because you know we would be taught this morning about you might not want a shop with money in it where the general public can come in most of whom we know are fantastic but you know the rise of abuse against shop workers ⁓ and theft is absolutely frightening and I think totally off-putting if you were going to set up a retail business today so I think we can expect to see more retail entrepreneurs coming through the live shopping space than anywhere

In-Person: fundraising, your support for your cause, but they're just not willing to put money behind that. you can do to support the individual to better their health. How can she change her lifestyle, build healthier habits? How does she do that change alongside a busier job? So of course, from my perspective, you know, more knowledge around nutrition and movement and managing stress and getting better sleep and rest and supporting our own mindset and so on. So there's some practical things from like a work environment.

Charlotte: because since I've been Cynthia Spencer, I've been with our marketing executive. and she says to me, you know, never really done so much work with retail. And the collaboration and the partnership between us has, you know, created, well, extra income, I absolutely have to say. So I agree with you, marketing is hugely important. And from my perspective, as a leader within the charity sector, so I've worked for international development charities, I've worked for other hospices, other national and local charities, and certainly as a leader within the sector. else because the great thing about it is online retailing can be criticized for being a bit boring. So I go online to Zara or whoever and I'll have a look. It's a bit boring really, isn't it? Whereas TikTok live is not boring. It's really good fun. You feel like you're part of a community and part of a sense of something. And one of the things I talked about this morning was charity retails already got all of that. That sense of community is bigger in charity retail than anywhere else. And I think claiming that is really important.

In-Person: position but then also things to help the individual not just have the information but how do they actually use that information.

Charlotte: that change alongside a busier job. of course from my perspective you know more knowledge around nutrition and movement and managing stress and getting better sleep and rest and supporting our own mindset and so on. So there's some practical things from like a work environment position but then also you know things to help the individual not just have the information but how do they actually use that information. Thank you so much really helpful. Thank you.

In-Person: Thank you.

Charlotte: Now my view is actually they go hand in hand. How are we going to take our product to the market if we're not investing in that marketing and that communication piece? You can't have one without the other. And that's where as a sector we need to learn from other sectors around us. We need to look outwards and go, actually if we were just another high street retailer, well actually they would have a marketing function supporting their products, engaging with their customer base. Brilliant, thank you very much.

In-Person: And that's, you know, I'm going to bang my drum about this all the time, but the one thing about charities is they need to invest in marketing because we can't do it all as charity retailers. We already wear lots of hats and we need a marketing team to be able to support and do that because there's no point having great products, great brand, great community without people knowing about it. And that's down to marketing.

Charlotte: Brilliant, thank you, that is all we have time for. Thank you very Thank you. ⁓

In-Person: Thank you. Thank you.

Charlotte: Why is it any different for us? And in fact, if anything, we have a greater opportunity because people support us because of the cause. Often people feel a connection, certainly within the hospice sector. Many people come and donate to our stores or shop in our stores because our clinical teams have cared for one of their loved ones. So they've got this connection that will remain with the charity for years to come. Now actually, how do we harness that connection? Yes, yeah, and we were just talking about pop-up shops and about how... The marketing of pop-up shops done well, again, introduces a whole new customer base, but you might have to do your marketing differently than the way you've always done it. And I think, you one of the things I would advocate is diversity in your marketing team. Don't be frightened to ask the youngest person in the room what they think, because they will have an entirely different view of marketing than perhaps I've got, other people in the room have got. And there are literally hundreds of thousands of young people looking Brilliant. Well, thank you very much. That really helpful. How do we engage? How do we communicate? How do we let them know that our shops are there and we need their support? So certainly as a leader, I would say to all my peers across the charity sector, we must invest in marketing and communications to ensure we're providing supporters the opportunity to engage with us holistically. And let's really utilise that opportunity. experience looking for bit of work who could really help the sector probably do marketing in a slightly different way so they're still going to need the guidance of people within organizations or within charities that can talk to them about purpose tone of voice and so on but in terms of absolutely accessing a new generation of shoppers and reclaiming that for the charity retail section I'd really make a call to say look at how diverse your team is in marketing.

In-Person: So certainly as leader, I would say to all my peers across the charity sector, we must and must invest in marketing and communications to ensure we're providing supporters the opportunity to engage with us holistically. And let's really utilise the opportunity. Yeah, absolutely. Couldn't agree more. You heard it here first, because everyone says that retail is a transactional relationship. ⁓ And it is at first, people come for the products but they stay for the connection, they stay for the cause, they stay for the community. ⁓ so yeah, completely agree. Well thank you very much. And you talked about us, ⁓ charity shops, reowning the pre-loved space in the circular economy, because there's lots of conversations about circular economy, but it's through the lens of vintage growth and eBay when we originated it, charity shops originated it. So how would you advise the sector to kind of take that back?

Charlotte: I think this is something that the sector needs to start jumping up and down about and I think this is something where the CRA's got to take a louder voice for me about just how much happens in the sector. I think it's sometimes forgotten because you know the vintage of this world and the eBay's will have huge corporate marketing departments and people to talk on their behalf. Somebody needs to talk on behalf of the sector about this because the key thing is, is this is the charity retail sector. So the circular economy is just a new way of describing something, isn't it really? It's not, you know. The circular economy has always existed for certain people, but I think there aren't enough stories about exactly what the charity retail sector does for the economy, what it does for high streets. ⁓ how it's providing excitement, interest, jobs and opportunities in high streets up and down the country and I think there's a really big story to be told about that. Yeah, I completely agree and just to hop back to what we were talking about before with the CRA, and with marketing, ⁓ I ⁓ everyone been in your session today has definitely taken something away and... you know, we're all very lucky to be able to have sat in the room and been able to hear you speak and have a conversation because for some people that will be a reassuring thing for knowing what they're doing is the right way of doing it and for others that will be sparking bit of insight into what we could change. Well, one of the things I think is, my world's about talking, isn't it? Obviously, I've clearly made some kind of non-paid career out of talking, going on the telly and doing all these things. But I genuinely believe that if you talk about things in a sector, in any retail sector, and you share with your peers, your colleagues what's going on. A problem shared's problem halved, isn't it? But it's also kind of an opportunity doubled. So you could talk about something and then think, ⁓ yeah, that's how I can apply it to what I do. And I think because of the nature of, not all charity ⁓ organizations, but quite a few are small. You've got to wear a lot of hats, as you just said. It's sometimes hard to think about things and it's easy for me to stand on a stage and say these are all the fabulous things you should be doing but there's the reality of the day today isn't there? So I think... Listening to podcasts is a good thing. Finding people, you my advice is linking with people, have conversations because you'd be amazed what people tell you and what you can share. And I think that that's got to be good for the sector. So that would be my big sort of take out actually from today. Yeah, absolutely. my question really is, ⁓ that with the, I think what we've heard lot or what I've taken a lot from the conference is ⁓ exactly what you say, that we're in the right place and we're doing the right thing. And I completely agree with it as someone who is Gen Z, ⁓ community, ⁓ space, ⁓ like ⁓ having connection is ⁓ really at forefront why I spend money and where I spend my money. ⁓ and so that's really what I think people have been reiterating throughout these last two days. what would be the call to action then to, we know this. Yeah, call to Yeah, we know that what we're doing right and we know we have such a great social impact. all across the high street and beyond, but what would you say is, what do we take away from that and how do we move into a space where we can really hone in on that and be the sector that Yeah, I mean, I don't know how some of these things work, but I'd be putting working parties together. I'd be putting groups of people together to look at what are the main challenges and opportunities, but also to report back on what's going well. And then, you know, I have a plan with the media to talk to them about things. in charity retail week, I think there is, isn't there? but there are different times through the year where that story needs telling and I think ⁓ That's really important and we can all get caught up in a discussion. I I talked about this one about national insurance and bureaucracy around business and all the rest of it, but that's pretty dry. I think what is really exciting is to be able to talk about some of the big things. So I don't think people would have any idea about the size of the following of some of the charity on TikTok. I don't think they'd have any idea about that. I don't think they'd have any idea about how well you could do on a closed sale, what that looks like, how it's transformed people. I we've been talking about the pop-up in London at Christmas. I just don't think people have got any clue about it. And that's an interesting positive story. So for me, it's about positive stories about commerce in the UK, in this sector. You've got to get out there with the right influencers. So... I think I'd be tempted to say get some working groups together, talk about it, and then have some stories that can go into the press and get somebody who will do that conversation for you, because that's really important. Thank you for having me again. It's great.

In-Person: Well, Katherine, we're so glad that we managed to get you back on the pod. And as I said, if you haven't already listened to our episode with Savvy, with Katherine and Ella, then please do go and check it out. And Katherine also mentioned in her presentation, Becky's Bazaar as well, who's one of those kind of thrifting influences. Yeah. So go and check out her episode with us as well on our charity shop chat. Thank you very much.

Charlotte: Yes, amazing. Yeah, yeah, great. Thank you.