SCOTLAND'S highest grossing charity shop took £2000 on Tuesday, its first day's trading after closing for refurbishment, a demonstration of the buoyancy in the charity shop sector after the recession.

Shelter Scotland, which has revamped the store in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, reported an increase in sales of 3% in its shops in the first half of the year, while the latest Oxfam figures showed it made £85.9 million from its 700 UK shops in the 12 months to March 31, a year-on-year rise of 6%, or £4.8m.

The rise in retail income has proved important for charities, which have experienced a drop in direct donations.

Yet the sector has also had to fend off an attack from an unexpected source – former charity shop champion Mary Portas.

Retail expert and television personality Portas, who overhauled Save the Children’s charity shops in 2009, proposed a cap on the number of charity shops able to claim rate relief on Britain’s high streets.

Portas – who opened her first charity boutique for Save the Children, Mary’s Living and Giving Shop, along the road from Shelter in Stockbridge – is now leading a Government-commissioned review on the future of the high street and made the remarks at the all-party parliamentary group on town centres.

However, her comments have drawn sharp criticism from both Save the Children and the Association of Charity Retailers, which represents more than 80% of the shops.

A Save the Children spokes-woman said: “Save the Children is very proud of their four highly successful Living and Giving shops which Mary Portas was central to creating and developing.

“As such, we are disappointed by the recommendations Mary has put forward. Save the Children shops raise more than £8m each year.

“To remove tax breaks for charity shops is to remove life-saving donations for the world’s most vulnerable children.”

Wendy Mitchell, head of policy and public affairs at the association, added: “The problems on the high street are nothing to do with charity shops. In fact, charity shops are often occupying premises which would otherwise be empty.”

New research by the association shows consumers believe charity shops offer value for money at a difficult time. It found 84% of those questioned said they shopped in charity shops because they could find better bargains and appreciated the quality of the goods.

In Stockbridge, shoppers thronging to Shelter to browse the store hailed the area’s 13 charity shops as central to its appeal. One local, Fay Burnett, said she regularly scoured the shops and that the coat, trousers, scarf and hat she was wearing all came from charity shops.

Francesca Ziolekowska, a consultant from Edinburgh, said: “I’d always go to a charity shop rather than a high-street store.”

Peter Jew, manager of Shelter Stockbridge, praised Portas for “changing what people expect a charity shop to be” but added: “In times of recession, charity shops have kept shopping streets alive; it’s become part of our culture to come shopping at charity shops and visit one of the many coffee shops nearby.”

Well-to-do Stockbridge, however, is not representative of all areas and there are concerns too many charity shops can give the impression an area lacks vibrancy.

Responding to Portas’s remarks, Sarah Cordey, of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Our priority is that we have properly supported town centres so all businesses can thrive there. That is likely to include big multiples, small independents and some charity shops.”