Oxfam ‘can’t guarantee future’ of charity shops as it also reviews warehouse business
Oxfam is reviewing its UK warehouse operations and high street shop viability due to declining donations and increased competition from online secondhand marketplaces. While no immediate closures are planned, the charity faces financial pressure following losses in its trading arm.
Why it matters
Illustrates how the shift toward digital resale platforms is disrupting traditional charity retail models.
Oxfam has been hit by competition from online secondhand marketplaces and a drop in income from recycling./Getty Images Oxfam has been hit by competition from online secondhand marketplaces and a drop in income from recycling./Getty Images Oxfam Oxfam ‘can’t guarantee future’ of charity shops as it also reviews warehouse business Dwindling donations and stiff competition from secondhand sellers online prompt review but ‘no plans for closures yet’
Prefer the Guardian on Google Oxfam is reviewing the operations of its three warehouses in Batley, Bicester and Milton Keynes and says it “cannot give guarantees” on the future of its high street shops in a “difficult economic climate”.
The charity said it had no plans to close warehouses or shops but insiders fear that Batley, which houses Oxfam’s main textile recycling centre, will shut as part of a cost-cutting drive because the West Yorkshire site’s lease is up for renewal.
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