Spiral Sussex

As Ross says, it’s difficult to know by which criteria to review a charity shop. However, I have never experienced bad service in Spiral. In fact I’ve experienced the opposite. The last time I went the assistant made with me polite conversation and was generally very affable. The fact that Spiral has maintained its status as an independent charity shop is surprising given there are plenty of non-​independent competitors in the vicinity. What’s more is that they help the local community by donating money to those with learning difficulties. These places are always worth checking out, as you never know what you might find. Recently I found a 1930s joke book and the entire Rocky saga in a DVD box set. What a find!

In the sign outside, Spiral Sussex claim to be ‘Brighton’s most interesting charity shop.’ I think Oxfam would probably contest this but I admire the fact Spiral is an independent, community based charity that ploughs any money they make back into helping young people and adults with learning disabilities.
I’ve taken bags of books, CDs and records into the shop and each time I’ve visited I’ve been amazed by the amount of new stock they get in. There’s a back room devoted solely to books and big pieces of furniture and two smaller rooms devoted to bric a brac, decorative items and vintage pieces of clothing. Last time I went, I picked up a spare chair for the kitchen for less than the price of a beer or packet of smokes!

Reviewing charity shops is a tricky business as the process sparks numerous ethical and moral questions. Such stores stock products just like every other retailer, yet their profits contribute to good causes, aiding communities and individuals in need. Should they be judged merely in relation to their range of items? Or perhaps based upon how much good they do? Morally, I’d like to give every single charity shop a five star review, simply because of the ethos such operations espouse, and their contribution to society. That said, it seems slightly unprofessional to give a business five stars when the service it provides is actually worse than most, if not all of its commercial competitors, and so I feel forced to resort to a juggling act in which I try to balance these two thought processes, in order to produce a fair rating taking into account both arguments.
Spiral certainly does a lot of good. This charity is run by volunteers who use the proceeds they make selling donated items to aid people suffering from learning difficulties, specifically helping such individuals to participate in activities and recreational events. Although, unfortunately, to be frank, their stock isn’t anything special, that doesn’t mean this shop isn’t worth visiting. You’ll find books, vhs tapes, furniture, and other such assorted items, and many of the products are old, and not in the best of conditions, but that said, I’m sure if you hunt through the items available for long enough, you probably will find something that peaks your interest, and the cheap furniture in particular seems ideal for students who want to pick up something for an affordable price, which, whilst perhaps lacking in style, still performs the job it was designed for.