As ethnic shops and restaurants are to the Cowley Road, so charity shops are to Headington. In an idle 10 minutes I decided to count them.
London Road, North side
- Cancer Research UK
- Oxfam
- Sobell House Hospice
London Road, South side
- British Heart Foundation
- Clic Sargent
- Marie Curie Cancer Care
- Cancer Research UK (again)
Windmill Road
- Helen & Douglas House
So the answer is 8. I think I would have guessed one or two more. But why so many? Is it just the proximity of the hospitals? Or something to do with rents?
Headington charity shops do well because of the local links with the hospitals (I used to work at CRUK which has very local links…there were 2 shops following merger of CRC and ICRF) and also the amount of students. The rents are also far lower than those in Oxford proper!
I always used to think there were a lot more charity shop than 8, if you're walking or driving through Headington without looking intently, it does seem like more!
Not living in Oxfordshire anymore, but I used to live in the Headington area, and still have family who do, so I visit quite often. It's changed so much (I see you RT'd my Tweet!). I remember when Londis was a 7/11, when the new flats used to be Smart Fish and Chips, when Waitrose was a Somerfield, and when the Co-Op used to have a petrol station attached to the side!
But to bring it back to topic, all of that has changed, one of the main things that hasn't, is the amount of charity shops, which is a good thing for the charities who are placed in the area.
Thanks to both for the responses. Would have ackd sooner but email notification wasn't enabled. I don't have a problem with the charity shops especially as they mostly try to look smart and inviting, but I wouldn't be disappointed if a few of them were replaced by some other (useful) outlets.
Charity shops don't pay business rates, surely that has something to do with it.Landlords love them at the moment cos they'll sign long leases unlike others