What do you do with your stuff when you no longer need it?

In the UK there is a thriving market for old stuff. We take our unwanted goods to local charity shops. The charity shops put the items out for sale. This is one of their fundraising streams. It’s a really popular thing. High streets often have several charity shops, and they also tend to cluster together. For example in my nearby town there is a street with 8 of these shops. They are for different charities – Cancer Research, Dogs Trust, Air Ambulance, Scope (for people with disabilities) etc.

Do other countries have this to this extent? In France, there is just one charity which does this – Emmaus (for homeless people) and I have heard of Goodwill in the US. Why isn’t there a take up of this good idea? What do people do with their stuff?