CHARITY shops in East Lancashire say they are experiencing a boom and are attracting younger customers.

Shops in the area say customers are spending larger amounts and they are seeing more ‘first time’ charity shoppers month by month.

Shops report that sales are up and one Blackburn shop said business was doing so well that they have decided to trial seven days a week opening.

Jean Whalley at Age UK on Blackburn’s Northgate said: “We were getting more customers and sales were up when the Mall Blackburn started opening on Sundays, so we thought, ‘Why can’t we try that?’ It’s only been a couple of months but so far we are doing very well.

“There just seems to have been a change in attitude. People are much more careful with their money and we are getting more young people in than ever before. We’ve been a ‘concept shop’ with up-to-date decor for about a year and I think that helps.”

Manager of Burnley’s British Heart Foundation store, Essie Ross, said sales were up but donations were down.

She said: “I suppose times are hard and people like to buy things for less here, but we are strugggling to get donations because people are selling their things.

“We have definitely seen a change in attitude with more new customers embracing the idea of charity shops.”

Tracy Ackers at Cancer Research UK on Blackburn’s Town Hall Street said: “We’re up eight per cent on last year and that’s down to more first-timers and young people coming in.”

Tasneem Khamker, manager at Age UK in Accrington, said: “People definitely think it’s more trendy to shop at charity shops than ever before. Young people especially seem to love it.”

It’s not just people getting necessities; people are splurging here too.”

Tasneem Khamker, Manager at Age UK in Accrington said: “I am serving customers who say they’ve come into town especially for the charity shops.

"We have a vintage range put aside upstairs and people definitely think it’s more trendy to shop at charity shops than ever before. Young people especially seem to love it, but in the past they would have turned their noses up.”

I served a lady who came in to ‘treat herself’ and she spent £100. She said the same things would cost £700 at department stores.”

I served a lady who came in to ‘treat herself’ and she spent £100. She said the same things would cost £700 at department stores.”