Eight out of 10 people regularly donate unwanted items to charity shops, research has found, more than double the proportion of people who sell their second-hand belongings on resale websites.

An online survey of more than 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by the homelessness charity Shelter and conducted in June by the pollsters YouGov, found that 84 per cent of UK adults regularly donate unwanted items to charity shops.

This was more than double the proportion of people who said they would choose to sell unwanted items on resale websites such as Vinted, eBay, Depop or Facebook Marketplace, with just 41 per cent saying they would resell their clothes online.

Of those asked, 20 per cent said they donated to charity shops every three months and 20 per cent said they donated every six months. Just 15 per cent said they donated to charity shops once a month or more.

The baby boomer generation was the most likely to give to charity shops, with 94 per cent of respondents over the age of 55 saying that donating was one way they dealt with unwanted items.

The most frequent donors to charity shops were aged 45 or over, with 42 per cent of this age group donating every three months or more. 

Younger people were more likely to resell their unwanted items on online platforms, with 54 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds selecting this as a method of decluttering compared with just 29 per cent of those over the age of 55.

Most people preferred to donate to charity shops in person, with 89 per cent selecting this as a way they would dispose of unwanted items. Just 11 per cent said they would like to donate to charity by post. 

The majority of respondents said they donated to charity shops spontaneously, with 75 per cent saying they decluttered and donated to charity shops whenever they felt the need.

Nearly half of respondents – 46 per cent – said they donated to charity shops after a spring clean and 32 per cent said they donated when moving house.

When asked how they pick which charity shop to donate to, most people said location was a key factor, with 64 per cent saying that they would be more likely to choose a shop that was close to them.

A charity’s cause also played a role in people’s decision-making, with 59 per cent of respondents saying they would be encouraged to donate to a charity they cared about. 

Nearly half said good parking would encourage them to choose one charity shop over another and 33 per cent said that a positive shop experience would influence their decision.

David Cryer, assistant director of retail at Shelter, said: “Charity shops are a really important part of our work, in terms of fundraising and engagement, and we are always keen to understand more about donating habits and how these have evolved over time.

“The last five years have presented some serious challenges, so it’s amazing to see how committed people are to donating with such frequency – especially in an age where selling online is popular – and to supporting the individual charities and campaigns that mean the most to them.”