Debenhams Group has partnered with Pennies to give customers the option to make charitable donations, to the British Heart Foundation, when they shop.
Customers’ total spend will simply be rounded up to the nearest pound – a process known as micro-donating.
This initiative builds on Debenhams Group’s longstanding partnership with the BHF. Since 2017, the group has supported the BHF through sample donations to their retail stores from all the Debenhams Group brands, including Pretty Little Thing, boohoo and MAN.
The items donated have supported the charity to maintain an impressive 95% reuse and recycling rate. The sale of those items has enabled the BHF to raise over £3.7mn to help fund vital research into heart and circulatory diseases.
The concept of giving ‘little and often’ is particularly popular amongst Gen Z and young Millennials, with over two-thirds (70%) of this demographic aware of Pennies and regularly contributing via micro-donations. It has facilitated 251 million contributions, raising over £61mn for more than 1,000 causes.
Dan Finley, chief executive officer of Debenhams Group, said: “I’m delighted to be partnering with Pennies and empowering customers to make a tangible difference when they shop with us. This partnership is representative of the community spirit that sits at the very heart of Debenhams Group.
“We have a proud history supporting the vital work of the British Heart Foundation and look forward to extending this support to even more charities in the future through our Pennies partnership.”
The partnership also forms part of Debenhams’ renewed commitment to ESG and will be a key pillar in its upcoming ESG plan, set to be published later this year.
Teresa Hicks, director of corporate partnerships at the British Heart Foundation, added: “From what began as a local business supporting its local charity shop through clothing donations, it’s fantastic to see how our partnership with Debenhams Group has grown.
“With 7.6 million people living with heart and circulatory conditions in the UK, our work has never been more needed. We are thrilled to be working with Pennies to receive donations to help fund our vital research into one of the UK’s biggest killers and want to thank Debenhams Group customers for their generosity.”
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research, click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox and why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis.
