Leonie Magilton has been in charge of the Horwich shop on Winter Hey Lane for the past 12 months.

Originally a primary school teacher at Horwich Parish School, after she retired, Leonie worked at the Cancer Research shop in Bolton town centre’s Newport Street.

Prior to that she was a volunteer at the Horwich shop and so knows both the job and the area – and how unpredictable each day can be!

When we visited, there had been several donations of items to sell and a large consignment of bags waited for attention. “Just look at this,” Leonie stated, pointing to an odd-looking item. “That’s a model piece of a spinal column and it came in with a model of a womb!”

Leonie knows that, unusual as it may seem, there will be just the buyer for both walking through the door at any time. “You just never know what people will donate and certainly not what people will buy,” she laughed.

For Leonie, the job is ideal. “I’m just nosy and love spotting bargains to sell,” she explained. “And I’m with a group of volunteers who are the best.”

The Horwich shop staff technically work from 10am. Leonie, however, spotting early queues at the Post Office opposite and also wanting to capitalize on the school drop-off, decided to open at 9.30am instead.

The move paid off and a steady stream of customers visit the shop from early on. They also shut a bit later, depending on how busy it is.

• So tip No.1 is: fit your opening times around your customers.

As well as donations from all those who regularly give items, stock from two very busy Hospice hubs – The Bank shop at Astley Bridge and Furniture Plus (furniture, electricals, mobility, fitness and leisure equipment) on Manchester Road – arrive at 7.30am each working day. So Leonie enlists the help of husband Gary to sort them.

These daily deliveries allow Leonie to please customers who come in each day for bargains.

So, tip No.2 is: opt for a quick stock turnaround if you can.

The tricky matter of pricing is next. Do you price items low in order to sell quickly or more realistically and wait?

Tip No.3 is: Know your customers’ price expectations.

Every type of item can be both donated and sought out by customers. Leonie has had items donated from furry handcuffs and wigs to a handsome doll’s house.

“I think the trick is never to be surprised,” added Leonie. “One man’s trash is another’s treasure.

Tip No.4: Acknowledge that almost everything is valuable to someone.

Having volunteers who care and love the work is key to not only enjoying every day but also to making a shop successful. “The volunteers here – like all the Hospice shops – are really nice and they are kind and lovely with the customers as well,” stated Leonie.

So tip No.5 is: Surround yourself with a great support system.

Today’s technology offers access to different markets so the Hospice takes advantage of ebay. These sales are co-ordinated from the Tonge Moor shop by her colleague Siobhann and help boost the charity’s revenue.

“If I think a collector’s item has been donated, or vintage clothing, I just take a photo of it and check online what it’s fetching, then I send it to Siobhann,” explained Leonie.

Often this works out really well. Recently, A Mary Quant jacket fetched £180 on ebay and a toy car £125.

Tip No.6: Use online markets like ebay to widen your retail field.

Do you have a favourite Bolton Hospice charity shop?

The Charity Retail Association have launched a brand-new award for 2024, which will see one spectacular charity shop crowned the UK's favourite. Perhaps you're a regular at the Bolton Hospice Astley Bridge shop & café where you enjoy a coffee and cake before browsing the rails. We are proud to announce that our Astley Bridge charity shop has been nominated for this amazing award. It would be an amazing honour for our local community!

Nominate your favourite hospice shop here, your support means we get to keep helping local families facing life limiting illnesses: https://www.charityretail.org.uk/the-uks-favourite-charity-shop-award/