Charities that invest in retail spaces make more money

Charlie Stapleton Stevens, a Master of International Development student at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, spent his summer working with Hospice Whanganui to analyse its charity retail model and explore ways the organisation could strengthen revenue from its shops.

Hospice Whanganui is a charitable trust and the primary provider of specialist palliative care in the district. It offers a 24/7 nurse-led model of predominantly in home care, anda small in-patient unit for short term stays for respite care, acute symptom management and on occasion, last day of life care. All Hospice Whanganui’s services are free of charge and the charity cover a region spanning nearly 10,000 square kilometres with about a third living rurally.

Like most hospices across Aotearoa New Zealand, only around half of Hospice Whanganui’s annual costs are covered by government funding. The remaining funding must be raised locally, with retail operations playing a key role. Charlie says as an avid second-hand shopper the opportunity to look behind the scenes of charity retail immediately attracted him to the project.

“I was excited by the prospect of getting an understanding of how decisions are made and why things are done in particular ways.”

From early December 2025 until early March this year, Charlie analysed financial data, interviewed key stakeholders and visited other high-performing charity retailers across the lower North Island to compare approaches.

“One day I would be at my desk analysing financial data, and the next I would be interviewing Hospice Whanganui key stakeholders or having a look around some other high-performing charity shops. It was an awesome process.”

The research found that the success of charity retail often hinges on how well organisations meet the needs of three key groups: volunteers, customers and donors.

Charlie says insights from other charities also highlighted the importance of creating appealing, well-designed retail environments.

“Participants from other charity retailers frequently highlighted how their organisations had intentionally transitioned from dark, cluttered, disorganised shops packed with odds and ends to light and easy-to-navigate spaces with clearly defined sections and strong product presentation.”

Hospice Whanganui CEO Helen Leslie says the research will help inform future decisions about the organisation’s retail operations.

“Charlie’s research and analysis of both the current operations of Hospice Whanganui’s stores and several other charity retailers in the lower North Island will provide us with valuable insights to help inform any future decisions about our retail operations. Our focus remains on continuing to serve the Whanganui community in the best way we can.”

Charlie began studying his Master of International Development at Massey in July last year after completing a Bachelor of Arts in History and International Relations in Wellington.

He says working with a community organisation like Hospice Whanganui reinforced the importance of supporting charities in a challenging environment.

“Many charities across New Zealand are at a really difficult crossroads at the moment. They’re dealing with increasing demand for their services, rising costs and declining government funding. Because of this, it’s more important than ever for people to support their local charities in whatever way they can.”

The project was a collaboration by the university and Hopsice Whanganui, with the latter funding this through a summer research scholarship for Charlie. Charlie was supervised by School of People, Environment and Planning Professor, Regina Scheyvens, along with School of Management Professor, Nitha Palakshappa and Dr Sarah Dodds whose expertise in marketing, sustainability and retail helped shape the research design.

Charlie hopes the work will ultimately help Hospice Whanganui continue providing its services for years to come.

“I hope the findings of this research project help Hospice Whanganui improve its retail offering, boost its financial performance and continue to offer its services to the Whanganui community for many years to come.”