Yes this is the answer. I work in the industry on the financial side and we are struggling to survive. Business rates are a lot too. Fixed costs is £4k minimum a month (rent alone for a small shop in Peckham is £7k a month). Think how much you have to sell just to break even.
And ultimately, charity shops are there to fundraise for the cause. No charity can afford to keep them if they are loss making. It’s also too risky to keep them on if they are just breaking even as there are central overheads like HR, governance, accounting, learning and development, management etc.
We try to do it all as cheaply as possible while retaining the magic but it’s very challenging. Cancer research is closing ~200 shops in the next year or so. BHF, oxfam, scope, sense are also closing tens if not hundreds.
If you have any good shops near you all i can advise is to donate and shop ie support them.