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Norwich ranks as the UK’s charity shop hotspot, data confirms

23 September 2026

4 min read

New data from The Co-operative Bank has revealed the charity shop hotspots for 2026, as well as the cities where they’re facing the biggest challenges.

  • Norwich has the most charity shops per capita, with 4 per 10,000 residents. Norwich is followed by Nottingham and Bristol.
  • Bradford is revealed to be the toughest city for charity shops with the highest high street vacancy rate in the ranking, alongside the lowest regional footfall index (98.72).
  • Liverpool comes in second, followed by Stoke-on-Trent in third place.

Charity shops are a familiar sight on Britain’s high streets, offering shoppers the chance to pick up pre-loved bargains while raising vital funds for good causes. But with high streets facing mounting pressures, from high running costs to a decrease in donations, some cities could be proving tougher places for charity shops to operate than others.

New data we've compiled here at The Co-operative Bank has revealed where the charity shop scene is currently thriving and struggling, analysing the cities with the most shops per 10,000 residents. We've also analysed rent costs, local volunteer rates, business survival rates, high street shop vacancies and regional footfall to reveal the cities where charity shops are facing the greatest challenges in 2026.

Anna Pashley, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Charities Retail Association, said:

"Charity shops play an important role in communities across the UK, not only by generating vital funds for charitable causes, but by providing affordable ways for people to shop more sustainably. Norwich topping the ranking highlights the important role charity shops can play at the heart of local communities, creating opportunities for people to donate, volunteer and support good causes close to home."

Norwich has been named the UK's top charity shop hotspot, with the most charity shops per person.

The analysis compared the number of charity shops with each city's population, calculating the number of charity shops per 10,000 residents to identify the cities with the greatest concentration of charity shops.

Norwich topped the ranking with 4.01 charity shops per 10,000 residents, followed by Nottingham (3.72) and Bristol (2.77).

Top 10 charity shop hotspots:

City
Region
Population
Number of charity shops
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents
City Norwich
Region East of England
Population 147,182
Number of charity shops 59
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 4.01
City Nottingham
Region East Midlands
Population 331,077
Number of charity shops 123
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 3.72
City Bristol
Region South West
Population 494,399
Number of charity shops 137
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 2.77
City Exeter
Region South West
Population 138,399
Number of charity shops 38
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 2.75
City Cambridge
Region East of England
Population 149,352
Number of charity shops 34
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 2.28
City Southampton
Region South East
Population 259,424
Number of charity shops 57
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 2.20
City Glasgow
Region Scotland
Population 646,700
Number of charity shops 125
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 1.93
City York
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
Population 209,301
Number of charity shops 38
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 1.82
City Derby
Region East Midlands
Population 274,149
Number of charity shops 47
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 1.71
City Edinburgh
Region Scotland
Population 508,500
Number of charity shops 85
Charity shop density per 10,000 residents 1.67

Bradford named the toughest city for charity shops, followed by Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent.

Bradford has the highest high street vacancy rate in the ranking, at 18%, suggesting charity shops are operating within a particularly challenging retail environment in the city. Just 16% of people in Bradford volunteer at least once a month, and regional retail footfall index is also the lowest in the ranking, at 98.72, potentially making it harder for charity shops to attract passing customers.

Top 10 cities where charity shops face the greatest challenges:

City
Rent (per sq/m)
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years
Final score
City Bradford
Rent (per sq/m) £14.51
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 16%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 41.0%
Final score 6.29
City Liverpool
Rent (per sq/m) £17.26
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 14%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 27.5%
Final score 6.22
City Stoke-on-Trent
Rent (per sq/m) £8.91
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 13%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 36.6%
Final score 6.11
City London
Rent (per sq/m) £64.40
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 17%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 38.2%
Final score 5.93
City Birmingham
Rent (per sq/m) £20.20
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 16%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 29.7%
Final score 5.80
City Coventry
Rent (per sq/m) £24.19
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 17%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 34.3%
Final score 5.74
City Aberdeen
Rent (per sq/m) £13.21
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 15%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 38.0%
Final score 5.61
City Leeds
Rent (per sq/m) £20.45
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 18%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 41.8%
Final score 5.60
City Brighton
Rent (per sq/m) £25.39
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 17%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 30.0%
Final score 5.58
City Plymouth
Rent (per sq/m) £12.06
Volunteer rates - % of people at least once a month 15%
Business survival rates - % in the past 5 years 39.8%
Final score 5.52
City
Region
High street shop vacancies - %
Avg. regional retail footfall index*
Final score
City Bradford
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
High street shop vacancies - % 18.0%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 98.72
Final score 6.29
City Liverpool
Region North West
High street shop vacancies - % 9.5%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 102.64
Final score 6.22
City Stoke-on-Trent
Region West Midlands
High street shop vacancies - % 16.3%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 103.73
Final score 6.11
City London
Region London
High street shop vacancies - % 7.4%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 113.32
Final score 5.93
City Birmingham
Region West Midlands
High street shop vacancies - % 10.8%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 103.73
Final score 5.80
City Coventry
Region West Midlands
High street shop vacancies - % 12.7%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 103.73
Final score 5.74
City Aberdeen
Region Scotland
High street shop vacancies - % 11.8%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 102.31
Final score 5.61
City Leeds
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
High street shop vacancies - % 12.2%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 98.72
Final score 5.60
City Brighton
Region South East
High street shop vacancies - % 9.2%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 104.56
Final score 5.58
City Plymouth
Region South West
High street shop vacancies - % 11.4%
Avg. regional retail footfall index* 101.68
Final score 5.52

*Retail footfall index: Average index for footfall in towns and cities across 2024-2026 relative to the 2023 average, with 100 representing the 2023 baseline. Scores above 100 indicate higher footfall than the baseline, while scores below 100 indicate lower footfall.

Liverpool takes second place despite having a relatively low high street vacancy rate of 9.5%. However, the city has the lowest business survival rate in the top 10, indicating a challenging environment, as well as one of the lowest volunteering rates in the ranking, with just 14% of people volunteering at least once a month on average.

Stoke-on-Trent ranks third, despite having the lowest retail rents of all 10 cities, at just £8.91 per sq m per year. The city has a relatively lofty high street vacancy rate (16.3%), second only to Bradford, highlighting the challenges facing its retail environment. The city also has the lowest volunteering rate across the ranking, with 13% of people in Stoke-on-Trent volunteering at least once a month.

Amy McFayden, Relationship Manager at The Co-operative Bank, said:

"Charity shops play a vital role in supporting communities and fundraising for good causes, but many are operating in an increasingly challenging environment. Keeping costs under control can help ensure more money reaches the people and projects that need it most.”

“As dedicated corporate members of the Charities Retail Association, we're committed to supporting the sector. With this in mind, we've expanded eligibility for our Charity and Community Account and removed the turnover limit.”

Charity shops remain an important part of Britain’s high streets, providing affordable shopping while raising vital funds for good causes. But as high streets face ongoing pressures, some cities are proving more supportive environments for charity shops than others, with Norwich emerging as a standout hotspot and Bradford facing some of the biggest challenges.

Methodology and Sources: