A WIRRAL area has been voted as one of the best places in the UK for thrift shoppers.

If you're on the hunt for unique and affordable finds, the UK has a plethora of cities that are perfect for thrifting. From antique furniture to vintage finds in charity shops, many locations offer a wide range of options for those who love sustainable shopping and are also looking for a good deal.

With thrifting becoming ever more popular, and the cost of living crisis seeing people want their money to go further than ever before, new data has revealed where to find out which cities in the UK are best for this style of shopping.

Analysing 50 cities across the UK, discount code website Savoo, looked at the number of charity shops, antique fairs and car boot sales per square mile, as well as the search volume around key search terms, such as "flea market" and “charity shops" to determine which places are the most interested in second-hand shopping.

Birkenhead ranked in 9th place overall for thrift shopping in the UK and in second place for the best location in the north for charity shops with 214 shops with 22 per square mile.

It also had a thrifty search interest of 129 per 100,000 people. Data found that Birkenhead had five antique fairs (0.5 per square mile) and one car boot sale (0.1 per square mile).

Blackpool is the top northern city for thrifty shoppers, ranking seventh overall.

In first place overall was Cambridge which is home to the joint highest number of car boot sales per square mile alongside Derby and Nottingham at 1.5 (24 car boot sales in total). Cambridge also ranks third for its population’s interest in thrifty shopping with 1,256 monthly searches per 100,000 people, which is over 15,000 each year.  

Ed Fleming, Managing Director at Savoo, said: ‘Thrifty shopping continues to gain popularity and has no doubt been heightened by the cost of living crisis that has caused many individuals' disposable income to be reduced. 

“Buying second-hand goods at the likes of charity shops, antique fairs and car boot sales allows many to make their money go further on items that may be far more expensive when brand new.

“Individuals should be careful to check the quality of the goods they are purchasing to ensure they are getting the best value for money, and should always ensure they are asking the original owner enough questions to ensure the purchase is right for them, as many of these fairs and stores do not offer a returns policy.

“Overall, thrift shopping is a great way to manage your outgoings more responsibly; whilst also being more environmentally friendly through the re-use of goods.”