How the British Red Cross increased average selling price by 13% on pre-loved items
Life before Photoroom
Staff manually edited photos, spending valuable time and resources
Used multiple outdated tools with no fast, bulk background removal option
Inconsistent images led to buyer hesitation and fewer sales
Listing took longer, prolonging time-to-sell and affecting revenue opportunities
Frequent use of paper or fabric backgrounds led to unnecessary waste
Life with Photoroom
Average selling price up by +13% overall, with unique gains across categories:
+8% for clothes, shoes & accessories
+10% for books, comics & media
+15% for antiques & collectables
+21% for home, furniture & DIY
+22% for technology
Ebay auction sell-through rate (STR) up by +2%
Time-to-sell reduced from 72 to 48 hours
Batch-editing saves team hours each week
Clean, consistent images boost buyer confidence and click-through rates
Increased revenue directly funds the British Red Cross’s humanitarian mission
Ten years ago, when Vicky McGirr joined the British Red Cross, she couldn’t have imagined how vital pre-loved items would become to the organization’s humanitarian mission. As e-commerce and development manager, Vicky’s role is straightforward on paper: decide strategy, choose where the British Red Cross sells, and raise revenue for the cause. But behind those simple words is a deep commitment to community, sustainability, and helping people in crisis around the world.
For the British Red Cross, pre-loved shopping isn’t merely an eco-friendly option but a life-changing chain reaction. Donated clothing funds support for people displaced by floods or crises. But in an age of fast fashion and fierce online competition, how could the Red Cross Charity Shop get these donated treasures in front of more buyers, faster?
The answer, it turned out, was by displaying clean images and working with a reliable visual partner that simultaneously enables them to produce professional photos and save time.
The challenge
As sustainable shopping gained traction and donations grew, especially among younger buyers who value eco-conscious choices and unique finds, selling one-off pre-loved items at scale brought special hurdles for Vicky and her team:
Quality & condition concerns: Customers were often worried about item quality. As Vicky explains, “A customer would receive an item and feel disappointed because they thought it was in a different condition. Our listing photographs didn’t always capture the true state or best light of the items.” Poorly edited images led to mismatched expectations.
Limited time & resources: With hundreds of daily donations across 280 UK shops, the e-commerce team needed to list items quickly. But manually editing each photo and removing backgrounds was too time-consuming.
Unreliable tools: They had tested seven tools with serious drawbacks, including Adobe Photoshop and Picasa. These tools were either too slow, too complex, lacked bulk-edit features, or had unsupported functionalities.
Sustainability efforts: Frequent use of paper or fabric backgrounds created unnecessary waste, which is at odds with their sustainability mission.
Eventually, it became clear they needed a fast, precise, and user-friendly batch-editing solution. And crucially, the platform had to respect the British Red Cross’s mission by freeing up resources like time, volunteers, and funds for greater humanitarian impact.
Discovering Photoroom for high-quality product photography
After seven disappointing tools and mounting challenges, Vicky’s team set out to find a solution that met their needs. That search led them to Photoroom’s Image Editing API, and it became clear that they’d finally found the perfect visual partner. As Vicky shares:
“Photoroom is unmatched by anything else we've tried. The usability is just incredible. From the start, we were all very very blown away and couldn’t believe how crisp the edges looked and how professional the pictures were.”
– Vicky McGirr, E-commerce and development manager, British Red Cross
Instead of painstakingly editing photos one by one, the British Red Cross team can now:
Batch-edit hundreds of images: They use Photoroom’s bulk-edit feature to upload and process hundreds of product images in one click—removing backgrounds, adding AI shadows, and optimizing lighting instantly.
Streamline their workflow: Their process is now seamless. They simply photograph items in batches of 200, upload them to Photoroom, and get polished visuals without manual retouching.
Preserve the brand ethos: Having the professional white background tool at their fingertips has allowed them to eliminate the need for disposable backdrops, reducing paper rolls, fabric washes, and waste-prone materials.
Produce consistent, professional photos: With AI-powered background removal, white backgrounds, AI Shadows, and relighting features, every listing now looks crisp, polished, and uniform. No more wrinkled backdrops or dimly lit corners.
“It’s been like turning on a light switch. Photoroom truly showcases our items in the light they deserve. That has had a massive impact between items that are not edited with Photoroom and items that are.”
– Vicky McGirr, E-commerce and development manager, British Red Cross
The results: Higher selling prices, faster time-to-sell
Since adopting Photoroom, the British Red Cross has seen tangible improvements both for its e-commerce operation and its humanitarian mission:
Higher average selling price (+13% overall): Improved visuals led to a higher final selling price, with unique gains across categories:
+8% for clothes, shoes & accessories
+10% for books, comics & media
+15% for antiques & collectables
+21% for home, furniture & DIY
+22% for technology
Stronger auction sell-through rate (STR): After using Photoroom’s AI Shadows (in batch mode), the British Red Cross saw a +2% boost in their eBay auction STR, meaning more items selling quickly and at optimal prices.
Time-to-sell reduced from 72 hours to 48: Items now reach customers quicker, reducing warehouse storage time, freeing up space for new donations, and keeping operations smooth.
Consistent professional aesthetic: Every listing now has a polished, uniform look that underscores trust and quality. That consistency reassures buyers who might have hesitated to purchase pre-loved items in the past.
More time for impact: Freed from spending minutes editing every single photo, staff and volunteers can focus on what truly matters—raising funds for people in crisis. “It’s amazing to know that each item we perfectly showcase goes on to fund the vital work we do across the world,” shares Vicky.
Lower environmental footprint: By removing the need for paper or fabric backdrops (which had to be replaced or washed frequently), the British Red Cross is staying true to its sustainability commitment and encouraging a circular economy.
“Every time we sell something, whether it’s a £5 top or a £200 Gucci handbag, that money supports our humanitarian work. Photoroom has made that process smoother, faster, and more impactful.”
– Vicky McGirr, E-commerce and development manager, British Red Cross
Looking ahead
For Vicky and the British Red Cross, the future of pre-loved fashion is bright. The organization hopes to see first-hand fashion become second-hand; a world where sustainability is mainstream, not just a cultural trend that fades out in decades.
“I’d love a future where secondhand isn’t just an alternative but a first choice.”
– Vicky McGirr, E-commerce and development manager, The British Red Cross
Vicky and her team know that making the online experience as frictionless and professional as traditional retail will invite everyone to make a difference, one donated sweater, handbag, or vintage vase at a time. With technology like Photoroom, they can continue scaling online sales to reach more buyers and divert countless items from landfills. It’s a win-win; shoppers get unique, affordable finds while the Red Cross raises vital funds for people who need it most.
