High Street vs Charity Shop - There's no need to choose!

 So guess what I found out this week? Something that could revolutionize your perception of charity shops and get you charity shopping just in time for Christmas.  Whilst popping out on my lunch break to scout out some of the many charity shops in Central London, I stumbled across an Oxfam Shop on Goodge Street.  Stepping inside I came across a pair of beautiful brand new boots for only £10 which of course I grabbed off the shelves immediately.  After greedily trying them on, finding they were a perfect fit and marching them up to the till, I proudly handed them over, smug in the knowledge that I had got my hands on them before anyone else in the shop had a chance to eye them up.  It was only when the shop assistant turned them over that I saw a £75 Urban Outfitters sticker on the bottom!

I couldn't believe my luck! So much so that I rang every member of my family to brag about my find.  Well, obviously they all struggled to match my enthusiasm. However, they did all share the same confusion as to why anyone would donate a brand new pair of £75 boots to a charity shop.

So I decided to do a little bit of research and discovered that the Oxfam Goodge Street shop has a little deal with Urban Outfitters where some of their unsold stock goes straight from their store onto Oxfam's shelves at a fraction of the high street cost! So if the thought of buying something from a charity shop still makes you grimace, this is the perfect compromise. Brand new stock, at second hand prices.  Why would you think of going anywhere else for presents this Christmas?

PS after writing this post, I was informed that the Cancer Research UK shop on Marylebone High St gets Stella McCartney and other designer samples, Cancer Research UK shop in Angel gets Monsoon/Accessorise samples and Oxfam in Yarms (North Yorkshire) gets Ted Baker's unsold stock so you get really awesome one-offs that never made it to the shops.

If anyone knows of any other High Street links with Charity Shops then please feel free to comment below!