Menswear flying off the shelves in charity shops as second hand movement gains traction in UK

25% of UK men have never donated clothes to a charity shop, according to a new British Heart Foundation (BHF) poll.

This comes as the BHF says the sale of menswear has increased by 35% from the previous year.

The poll, which involved 2,000 male consumers across the UK, also revealed that: those aged 55 and over are the most likely to do so (77%); Of those who have donated clothes to charity shops before, one in ten said they only give brand new clothes; 22% of UK men aged 25-34 give items to charity they’ve only worn once.

BHF Retail Ambassador and Love Island star, Dr Brett Staniland, recently visited the charity’s eBay hub, and looked through the array of donations.

He says: “I’ve always been a huge advocate of shopping second hand and encouraging others to rethink the way they shop. But this poll shows how important it is to think about what items we have in our wardrobes that could be given a new home. The second hand movement isn’t only about taking, it has to be equally about giving.”

“We’re all guilty of keeping clothes and accessories we once loved that no longer fit, or pieces for occasions that have only been worn once. Let’s give them a second chance of life and donate them to our local BHF shops, it’s so simple and easy.”

BHF sales also revealed that men’s tops and trousers are the most popular menswear item in its shops and the charity needs donated stock to keep up with demand.

This autumn, it is urging people to clear out their wardrobes and donate quality unwanted clothes to their shops.

Donating to the BHF is free: drop items to your local shop, book a collection online or post them using a freepost label. All the money raised in BHF shops helps fund research into heart and circulatory diseases.

Meanwhile, the new BHF location in Dalston, London, has bought its menswear offering to the front of the shop.

Allison Swaine-Hughes, BHF Retail Director, says: “It’s fantastic to see how well menswear is selling throughout our shops, eBay and Depop sites.”

“We’ve bought some menswear collections to the front of our shops to entice customers through the doors, but we need donations to keep our shops stocked and raise money for vital lifesaving research.”

 “With a quarter of men never having donated clothes to a charity shop before, we want to encourage them to do so. We’ve made it incredibly easy to donate your preloved items to us and we hope the nation looks through their wardrobes and donates quality items to us this autumn.”