Two more charity shops join bustling independent shopping area

A tenth charity shop has opened in the bustling Bath Road area of Cheltenham where it will face stiff competition amid a sea of other second-hand stores The new shop, named Abacus, hopes to carve out its own niche by specialising in pre-loved children’s items.

All sales are raising funds for Goals Beyond Grass, an organisation that provides inclusive physical and social activities throughout Gloucestershire. Housed in a former dog grooming parlour, the revamped store is a stone’s throw away from The Exmouth Arms pub.

But Abacus isn’t the only new kid on the block. Last month, Emmaus Gloucestershire opened a new location in the former NatWest building on Bath Road.

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Malcolm Pitt, Business Manager at Emmaus, said: “Bath Road really is the area to be in. It’s such a vibrant area. There are so many other charity shops. There are lots of bars and restaurants. A lot of footfall.”

Bargain hunter Danielle Hardy, 30, who visits Bath Road from out of town on a weekly basis, feels like the volume of charity shops might have “got a bit too much”. She says she has seen a lot of change over the past decade and that a lot of businesses have “come and gone”.

That being said, she is a fan of the new Emmaus store, saying that it is “well-priced” and that “they’ve always got some really good things”.

Mr Pitt added: “Our offering is a bit more diverse than the other people we are competing against. They maybe do clothing and bric-a-brac, whereas we do electrics, shabby chic furniture, normal furniture as well, and more.”

Brian Dix, CEO and Founder of Goals Beyond Grass, said: “New families can buy quality products at Abacus, at a reasonable price, and when it's outgrown they can bring it back and we’ll go through the cycle again.”

While these charity shops will benefit from some tax concessions that could help them survive, they will need to vie for the attention of consumers if they are to thrive. Carefully curating their inventories may help them stand out in an area already crowded with competitors.

Abacus is located at 1 Naunton Parade; it is open 10.30am to 3.30pm and is closed on Wednesday and Sunday. Emmaus is located at 147-151 Bath Road; it is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.