The burgeoning trend of thrift shopping in the UK, particularly in the fashion domain, has prompted an analysis of the top 50 cities with a vibrant presence of charity shops, antique fairs, and car boot sales.
Securing the top position for thrifty and sustainable shopping is Cambridge, boasting an impressive 84 charity shops, five antique fairs, and 24 car boot sales. The city’s commitment to thrift is underscored by a substantial 1,256 searches for thrift-related terms per 100,000 people, as reported by Savoo, the discount save site.
Closely following, Oxford claims the second spot with a substantial offering of 107 charity shops, seven antique fairs, and 24 boot fairs. The city records a commendable 1,173 thrift-related searches.
Notably, both Cambridge and Oxford, renowned university cities with substantial student populations, emerge as pioneers in the UK’s thrift shopping landscape.
The top 10 cities in this ranking include Nottingham, Derby, Norwich, Reading, Slough, Blackpool, Birkenhead, and Bournemouth, all of which host universities, university branches, or colleges.
In contrast, Newport is labeled the least favorable city for thrift shopping, lacking car boot sales or antique fairs. Conversely, Edinburgh, another university town, stands out as the city with the highest demand for sustainable shopping, with over 8,000 monthly searches on the topic.
Ed Fleming, Managing Director at Savoo, attributes the surge in thrift shopping’s popularity to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, influencing individuals to adopt more sustainable and budget-friendly shopping practices.
