Best places in the UK for second-hand shopping

With the cost of living on many people’s minds, more Brits are now looking for ways to cut back on their spending habits. And with online searches for ‘charity shops near me’ reaching  450,000 a month, it’s clear that many people are turning to second-hand shopping.

A recent Oxfam study revealed that 41% of UK adults now purchase and wear more second-hand clothing than they did two years ago, with 66% owning preloved garments. Customers are clearly choosing more budget-friendly or sustainable shopping habits, favouring a trip to charity shops over buying brand new.

To guide people through this, we’ve ranked the best UK cities for second-hand shopping. We analysed four different factors: the number of second-hand stores, vintage stores, charity shops, and Gumtree listings in each area. Once the data was collected, each of those factors was scored between 0-1. These values were then added up and multiplied by 25 to give each location a score out of 100 – with a higher score meaning more places to shop second hand.

Intrigued? Here’s a full breakdown of our results.

The top places in the UK for thrift finds

As of March 2024, the UK leads in second-hand purchases, with 63% of people stating they had bought second-hand pieces in the past 12 months. The countries that follow include Sweden (62%) and America (60%). But where are the UK’s thrifting hotspots?

1. Ballymena

With a total score of 83.97, Ballymena is highest in our ranking. With 57.5 second-hand stores per 100,000 people, as well as 23.7 vintage stores, it’s got more second-hand stores than anywhere else in the UK.

The popularity of online second-hand shopping has grown in recent years too, and we found  6629.2 Gumtree listings in the city. So, if you’re hoping to snap up a bargain online, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

2. Dumfries

In second place we have Dumfries, with a population of 49,221. There are fewer second-hand stores in Dumfries (20.3), yet you’ll still find 28.4 vintage stores, and 26.4 charity shops per 100,000. Scoring 71.82 overall, buying second-hand shopping is clearly a big part of the shopping landscape.

3. Newry

Newry, Northern Ireland, ranks third with a slightly lower score of 69.85. There are 40.8 second-hand stores per 100,000 in Newry, as well as 40.8 charity shops (the highest out of our top three).

4. Lisburn

Lisburn takes fourth place with a score of 68.18. You’ll find a strong, second-hand shopping community in Lisburn with 46.3 charity shops (the highest in our top ten) and 17.6 vintage stores where shoppers can look for items no longer available elsewhere.

5. Perth

Shoppers certainly won’t be disappointed when searching for online goods in Perth, as we found a whopping 7632.3 Gumtree listings. We found 44.3 second-hand stores and 21.1 vintage stores too, suggesting there’s ample choice when it comes to snapping up a bargain.

6. Rhyl

Rhyl comes in next, with a total score of 61.99. You’ll find 38.9 vintage stores per 100,000 in Rhyl, as well as 35.8 charity shops. For shoppers who are on the lookout for one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, there are 15.9 vintage stores too.

7. Shrewsbury

In seventh place we have Shrewsbury, with a total score of 60.97. Shrewsbury is particularly great for vintage stores (43.2) and we also found an impressive 2790.2 Gumtree listings in the town too.

8. Stirling

Stirling is especially great for second-hand stores (with 63.8 per 100,000), but you’ll also find 26.6 charity shops and a whopping 6011.7 Gumtree listings!

9. Scarborough

The North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough steals the penultimate spot, with a respectable score of 54.79. There are 50.2 second-hand stores per 100,000 in Scarborough, as well as 19.4 charity shops!

10. Bury

Last but not least, we have Bury, scoring 53.36. You’ll find an impressive 36.8 charity shops per 100,000 in Bury, but if you prefer online shopping, we found 3,579.6 Gumtree listings to browse too!

The best UK cities for thrift finds

The following big cities offer a mix of vintage, charity, and second-hand stores where you can find unique items at great prices.

1. London

London tops our list with a total score of 93.93. There’s a lot of  second-hand shopping in the capital, with 76 second-hand stores, 114 vintage stores, and 54 charity shops to choose from. Not to mention the 230,701 Gumtree listings we found.

2. Glasgow

Glasgow follows closely behind with a total score of 58.16. People looking to shop second-hand can choose from 32 vintage stores as well as 71 charity shops – the highest figure in our top ten.

3. Edinburgh

In third place we have Edinburgh, scoring 56.56. With 66 second-hand stores, 39 vintage stores, and 52 charity shops to choose from..

4. Bristol

Bristol, a city with a population of 467,099, boasts a total score of 49.07. You’ll find 63 second-hand stores in Bristol, and it’s particularly great for vintage stores too (coming in at 43).

5. Sheffield

Sitting at the midpoint, Sheffield ranks fifth with a score of 45.35. We found 48 second-hand stores, 27 vintage stores, and 53 charity shops where customers can snap up clothes, books, and more!

6. Manchester

Next up we have Manchester, with a slightly lower score of 42.54. You’ll find more vintage stores than the above (34) as well as an impressive 66,058 Gumtree listings in the city.

7. Birmingham

Scoring 40.42, Birmingham offers 55 charity shops, 26 vintage stores, and 33 second-hand shops for people to take a look at.

8. Liverpool

With a score of 40.33, Liverpool comes in eighth. If you’ve got a free day in the city, you’ll be able to head to one of its 46 charity shops or 26 vintage stores.

9. Wirral

In the penultimate spot, scoring 37.46, we have Wirral. While we only found 6 vintage stores, we found 51 second-hand stores and 54 charity shops, so it’s still a place you can take a look at.

10. Belfast

Belfast rounds things up with a score of 37.38. The city has 56 second-hand stores and 39 charity shops. Plus, with an impressive 8,533 Gumtree listings, there’s no wonder it stole the final spot.

Top tips on second-hand shopping

If you’re new to second-hand shopping and want to be more financially savvy while doing it, we’ve pulled together a few tips to help you get started:

1. Carefully examine your items: When it comes to things like clothing, make sure to thoroughly examine your pieces, focusing on quality over quantity. If you pick out a pair of jeans (made from quality denim), they’ll give you several years of wear.
2. Make frequent visits: While you might not find the exact items you’re looking for on your first trip, you certainly shouldn’t give up. Inventory at second-hand stores changes constantly, and that exact desk lamp you’ve been on the hunt for might just be on its way!  So be patient, check regularly, and don’t be discouraged.
3. Know the best times to shop: Weekdays and early mornings are often the best times to shop, allowing you to have a thorough browse before things get too busy.
4. Set a budget: While you’ll certainly get more for your money when shopping second-hand, it’s still important to set a budget. It’s easy to get swept away and grab everything you see, but we’d recommend deciding exactly how much you’re wanting to spend and sticking to it.

So if you do decide to look into second-hand shopping, you might find unique pieces at affordable prices. And don’t forget to check out our full guide on how second-hand shopping can help you save money.

Second-hand shopping is a great way to save some extra cash that you can put towards your savings. But if you’re yet to build a substantial pot and you’re in need of cash to tide you over, here at Moneyboat, we offer fair and flexible short-term loans. Designed to help cover unexpected, emergency expenses, we’re here to help.

Alternatively, you can head over to the rest of the Moneyboat blog for plenty more insights. If you’ve mastered second-hand shopping and you’re looking to save a few extra pounds elsewhere, check out our guides on how to find and cancel subscriptions you don't use and simple ways to save.

Methodology

This dataset ranks 75 UK locations, based on how good they are for thrifting. To do this, 4 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed & multiplied by 25, to give each location a score out of 100. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest.

The factors used are as follows:

• Second-hand Stores: The number of results on google maps using the prompt "second hand stores in X", where X is the city. Results were filtered to only include business categories: "second-hand", "thrift", "used clothing"
• Vintage stores: The number of results on google maps using the prompt "vintage stores in X", where X is the city. Results were filtered to only include business categories: "vintage" & "antique"
• Charity shops: The number of results on google maps using the prompt "charity shops in X", where X is the city. Results were filtered to only include business categories: "charity" & "nonprofit"
• Gumtree listings: Number of listings on Gumtree in each area

The factors were indexed as follows:

• All factors: Higher is better

All data is correct as of 07/02/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.