Take a high-street charity shop and turn it into a store filled with celebrity cast-offs, with all the money going to good causes.
That’s just what happened in Edinburgh yesterday when celebrities including chef Jamie Oliver and television presenter Lauren Laverne donated personal items to a new boutique charity shop opened by TV retail expert Mary Portas for Save The Children.
The plan is to capture the high-end charity shopper who is looking for special one-off pieces and designer bargains -- especially if they come with celebrity cachet.
Oliver’s name will now be attached to his clothing donations for added saleability, with TV presenters Lauren Lavern and Peaches Geldof also supplying the store, called Mary’s Living and Giving Shop, with desirable stock.
Portas began working with Save the Children this year, overhauling their charity store in Orpington, Kent, for her BBC2 series, Mary Queen of Charity Shops, selling £109,000 worth of clothes in three weeks. The Edinburgh shop, in Stockbridge, is the first of five she is planning in the UK.
The store will be topped up with donations from Grazia magazine.
Portas said: “This is a shop for everyone and we want it to be a place that will inspire Edinburgh to give. The designer bargains in our charity shop will be fantastic and the store has the potential to attract people from across the whole of Scotland.
“We want to create a real buzz around second-hand shopping.
“It may seem crazy to sell such quality goods at reasonable prices, but the money raised will be well spent and it costs as little as £5 to save a child’s life.”
Shoppers might find a £1500 handbag for £150, or perhaps a pair of shoes that have walked the red carpet.
Rob McMillan, Save the Children’s retail manager for Scotland, said: “Our Stockbridge shop is set to cause a revolution in charity shop shopping.”
Other charity shops in the area hope a store supported by celebrities will draw more custom to the area.
The store is opposite Oxfam’s specialist books shop and a few doors from its music outlet. Jo Christison, area manager for Oxfam’s east of Scotland shops, said: “The addition of the new boutique will be a great thing for the area.”
Lindsay Scott of Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged said: “Charity shoppers tend to move from one shop to another. We think it will help our footfall.”
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