The charity plans to review its 500-plus UK stores and three warehouses. Net trading income dropped to £6.3m in the year to March as Vinted and eBay drew shoppers away. A warehouse in Batley may face closure.
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Charity Oxfam is reviewing its 500-plus UK store network after donations, textile recycling revenue and competition from resale platforms all squeezed its latest financial results.
The Guardian reported that the charity could close as many as 100 shops. A source said some locations have become increasingly difficult to run profitably. Oxfam GB chief supporter officer Lorna Fallon said the charity regularly reviews all parts of its retail operation but remains “confident in and positive about” its current retail performance.
The review covers Oxfam’s three warehouses in Batley, Bicester and Milton Keynes, which together employ roughly 90 people. Insiders fear the Batley site, which handles the charity’s main textile recycling operation, could close when its lease expires, The Guardian reported.
Oxfam’s latest accounts show retail trading income fell 3% to £99.4 million in the year to March 2025. Net trading income dropped from £8.3 million to £6.3 million. The charity closed five of its least profitable shops during that period.
Rising competition from resale platforms like Vinted and eBay has hurt both Oxfam’s shopper traffic and its supply of donated goods. A separate drop in the value of unwanted textiles sold for recycling compounded the pressure.
Oxfam is also investing in new sales channels. This month it launched an online fashion rental service for the first time and debuted on eBay Live, where it sold out every item offered during the livestream. It opened its first dedicated Oxfam Vintage store in Manchester earlier this year.
The stress on Oxfam mirrors a broader squeeze across Britain's charity retail sector. The British Heart Foundation recently said it plans to close roughly 150 stores over two years, citing higher costs and changes in how people shop.
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