A weekly podcast, celebrating the people and stories behind charity retail
Episodes Every Wednesday
The Charity Shop Chat is shining the spotlight on why charity retail is more than just racks and rails. It’s the circular economy in action. It’s local community hubs. It’s skills development, volunteering, sustainability and vital unrestricted income. And in a climate where funding is tight and expectations are high, retail is not optional. It is essential.
We wanted to give charity retailers the microphone – to challenge assumptions, raise standards, share practical tools, inspire ideas. If you care about the future of charity retail, this is your space.
Listen 24/7 with new episodes dropping every Wednesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Share with your thrifty friends, colleagues and supporters, and leave us a review. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @charityshopchat
Because charity shops are full of stories that deserve to be told and we love sharing them with you.
Watch our full playlist of current episodes
Work in charity retail? Then you probably wear 1,000 hats. On your to do list are shop visits, board papers, risk assessments, staffing challenges, listings on eBay and Vinted – and that’s just today. By the time that brilliant article lands in your inbox or that webinar invite pops up, you simply don’t have the headspace.
That reality felt very familiar to Ross Henderson, Director of Income Generation & Digital at Nottinghamshire Hospice. During a Zoom call with The Charity Retail Consultancy, he said something simple but powerful: Start a podcast. A way for busy charity retailers to learn on the go, on the commute, between shop visits, while steaming stock in the back room, while listing online.
So we did…
The Vision
Charity Shop Chat was created to celebrate the sector properly. Not as a side note to fundraising. Not as an afterthought to strategy. But as a powerful, mission driven income engine in its own right.
We wanted to spotlight the unsung heroes of charity retail. The shop managers who know every regular by name. The volunteers who wash and mend donated clothing at home. The team members counting puzzle pieces at 9pm. The eBay listers researching the weird and wonderful to get the description just right.
Retail is not secondary, it’s strategic – and in a climate where unrestricted income matters more than ever, that conversation cannot stay in the background any longer.
From Idea to Launch
It took five months of planning, countless road trips across the UK and plenty of trial and error. We recorded in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds and Swansea and heard an incredible array of voices.
The hosts? The Charity Retail Consultancy’s very own Charlotte Greenwood and Mimi Cartwright. Charlotte is a charity retail leader, consultant and advocate for purpose led retail. With over 20 years of experience across commercial and charity sectors, she champions the balance of mission and margin, helping charities maximise income while staying rooted in social impact. She is also an Equity Diversity and Inclusion advocate committed to raising allyship across the sector.
Mimi brings fresh energy and next generation perspective to the podcast. Passionate about sustainability, social justice and community, she represents the evolving face of charity retail having both volunteered and worked in charity shops, including the Choose Love shop on London’s famous Regent Street. Her curiosity and inclusive storytelling ensure Charity Shop Chat feels modern and connected to emerging audiences.
That energy set the tone from day one. When we launched in February, we wanted our very first guest to reflect that forward-thinking approach. BeckysBazaar, who some may recognise from Channel 4’s Can You Make £10k in 10 Days? with Scarlett Moffatt, shared why charity shops must embrace social media to stay relevant, how pricing feels from a shopper’s perspective, and the emergence of WhatNot as an online selling tool.
We already have multiple full episodes available now with even more incredible episodes on the way. Natasha Morosini from St George’s Crypt opens up about their partnership with HMP New Hall to upcycle furniture, creating second chances for both products and people. Daniel Franzmann from Fight for Sight highlights how Instagram can be used to grow volunteers. Steph Edusei talks about why Heads of Retail can be overlooked for Director of Income Generation roles, and shop managers Nicola Dodge and Roxanne Randel from St Raphael’s Hospice talk about why hospice shops are so beloved in the community. And that’s not even the final list – we’re only just getting started!
