I found designer items for under £10 in new town centre shop

I visited a charity shop and found designer brands for under £10.

I’d always seen videos of influencers discovering bargains and designer brands at charity shops, but I’d never had the opportunity to find them for myself. When I heard that Willowbrook Hospice was opening a new store in Kirkby Town Centre, I thought it was the perfect time to go and see if I could find some bargains of my own.

The shop was opened by the Mayor of Knowsley, Eddie Connor, who is from Kirby on Tuesday, April 30, and said, as he cut the ribbon: “I hope this store is a total success!”

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A crowd of the first customers streamed in, and I was among them, all of us jostling to see what was on offer. The first thing that I noticed was just how much there was inside, an impressive feat considering that they mentioned it only took them 10 days to set it all up - thanks to the support from the community.

There were cupcakes and champagne on offer to celebrate the opening, along with a goodie bag containing a voucher, volunteering information and a small teddy. But I was here to see the deals, and I swiftly moved on to the neatly lined racks of clothing that hadn’t been disturbed yet.

I spotted a co-ord set of a crocheted bralette top and trousers that would be perfect for a night out – only £6 altogether. They also had a rack of jeans, with the most expensive of them being £6 a pair.

I moved on to the shoes and handbags which were all colour-coded, an extra detail that made browsing easier. Among them was a DKNY leather tote bag for £8. Although I couldn’t find the exact match online, I found a similar model going for £195. That made for a 96% discount compared to the retail price.

There was also a gorgeous pair of vintage Anne Klein heels for £8 – unfortunately not in my size, so I could do nothing but stare longingly at them before moving on to the rest of the display, where I spotted a Laura Ashley necklace for £4, which i have seen for £100 online.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a rack of christening dresses at discounted prices, as I knew how important these could be to someone. Already, customers were picking them up to compliment them and remark on the discounts, with the best I found selling for £20 from an original retail price of £60.

In the flashier end of the children’s section, there was a selection of Michael Kors children’s shoes selling for £20 a pair. A quick Google of the items showed me that these would originally be £98. I couldn’t believe that they were still on the shelf, although with the rate customers were streaming into the shop, I didn’t think it would be long before someone snapped them up.

I crossed the shop to venture into the homeware section, where they were selling sofas for under £200. But the item that caught my eye was a boxed Morphy Richards Breadmaker display. Originally £100, I was amazed to see that they were selling them for £40. Beside them was a treadmill - this charity shop really did seem to have it all.

But discounts aside, it was clear to see how this shop could make a difference to people’s lives. They had a matching gold set of heels and a handbag for under £10 that would help someone who was struggling with prom or a special event, and the christening dresses could really help parents.

It was also comforting to know that my money was going towards helping people who need the hospice's service. I spoke to Julie Currie, Head of Retail, on my way out of the store, who said: “I do think this shop will be a massive success. We’ve had a lot of support already, and lots of interest while we’ve been setting up.”

Considering the variety of what was on offer – and the prices – I would definitely be returning soon.

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