Charity megastore opens in popular shopping spot

General manager, Vinny Ferrer, said the store had the largest fashion department in the country

A charity megastore, believed to be one of the biggest in the country, has opened at a popular Telford shopping destination.

The 19,000 sq ft (1,765 sq m) unit, formerly Wilko, at the Telford Centre had been empty since October 2023.

It is now home to a British Heart Foundation home and fashion store.

"This store in itself, it's special... it's the location, it's a place where you can buy new goods as well as pre-loved goods," said its new branch manager, Vinny Ferrer.

"It's one of the home and fashion ones [stores], with the largest fashion department in the country, which makes it even more attractive for those who are looking for what I always call the thrill of a find," he told the BBC.

"Customers are travelling far distances just to shop with us, because the amount of collections, the amount of goods we do sell, is increasing constantly."

The unit had been empty for about a year

"The nearest stores we had were either 15 miles north or 15 miles south," he said.

Mr Ferrer added that there were a number of reasons charity shops had become more popular.

"From the cost of living crisis to the increase in bills and energy and everything, but also in understanding and realising that we don't call things secondhand, we call it upcycling."

"Something is always new to somebody else."

Glynn Morrow said the way people view charity shops has changed

Manager of the Telford Centre, Glynn Morrow, said the centre had suffered "significant voids" in recent years.

As well as the Wilko unit becoming empty, the centre's Debenhams also shut in 2021, and has since been filled by a Flip Out trampoline park.

"The charity shop image has moved on over the years," he said.

"The store looks absolutely fantastic, it looks like a genuine furniture store out there.

"It's a great location, really good footfall between us and the park."