Understanding the explanatory factors leading to variability in charity collection bank yields: implications for bank placement and logistics strategy

Norton, B., Cherrett, T.J. and Waterson, B. (2012) Understanding the explanatory factors leading to variability in charity collection bank yields: implications for bank placement and logistics strategy. 17th Logistics Research Network Conference (LRN 2012), Cranfield, United Kingdom. 04 - 06 Sep 2012. 8 pp .

Abstract

Oxfam runs a network of approximately 570 textile donation banks across the UK for second-hand textiles and books to raise revenue for good causes around the world. These banks are placed in a variety of public places, such as car parks (public and supermarket) and recycling centres. Of real interest is the impact the underlying population characteristics have on the yield volume and stock quality at the site, and whether a better understanding of this relationship can be gained using historic fill levels over time, and quality audits of the stock donated. If a relationship exists and different postcodes can be shown to yield significantly different weights and quality of stock then banks can be targeted to certain areas, and the logistics optimised accordingly.

Using a database of Monthly (April 2010 – March 2011) collection records (weights of donations collected per bank) for around 500 textile banks, this paper investigates the relative impacts of certain factors (season, location, proximity to services and levels of affluence) in influencing the variability in observed banks weights across Oxfam’s charity banks in England. It also presents a model which can be used to predict the weights of donations that should be generated by a bank given the profile of the region. For each factor, a weighting coefficient was calculated to generate predicted weights for each bank.

Data for 2009-2010 have also been used for analysis to understand seasonal and longer term trends. Data regarding the key factors used within the model have been derived from a range of sources (eg. Office for National Statistics). In order to identify whether areas with different demographic, geographical and economic characteristics, yield significantly different volumes of saleable stock, a range of donation stock quality audits are currently being undertaken at a range of locations around the country based on the outcomes of the analysis.

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Contributors

Author: T.J. Cherrett

Author: B. Waterson

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