What Is an Op Shop Called in England and the UK? (2026)
In England and the rest of the UK, the equivalent of an Australian op shop is a charity shop. British people do not usually say “op shop”; that term is Australian. So if you are from Australia and visit the UK, look for “charity shop” on the high street and in search results.
Charity shops in the UK work in a similar way to op shops: they sell donated goods to raise money for a charity. The model is the same; the name is different. This guide explains the British term and how it fits with what you know from Australia.
Charity shop is the standard British term
In the UK, “charity shop” is the normal name for a shop that sells donated second-hand items to fund a charity. You will see signs for Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Scope, and many others. These are all charity shops—the British version of what Australians call op shops.
Like op shops, they rely on donations and often use volunteers. For how that cycle works in Australia, see our guide on how op shops work.
Does the UK have thrift stores?
Yes. In British English, “thrift store” is sometimes used, but it is less common than “charity shop.” When Brits say “thrift store,” they usually mean the same thing as a charity shop. In the US, “thrift store” is the main term; in the UK, “charity shop” is. So the UK does have thrift stores in the sense of second-hand charity retail; they are just usually called charity shops.
British slang for charity shop
There is no single widespread slang term that replaces “charity shop” in the UK. People might say “the charity shop” or “the chazza” in informal speech (a shortening of “charity”), but “charity shop” remains the term everyone understands. “Op shop” is not used in Britain and may not be understood.
So: in England and the UK, an op shop is called a charity shop. The idea is the same as in Australia—donated goods, low prices, funds for a cause. If you enjoy op shopping in Australia, you will find the same kind of hunting in UK charity shops.