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Oxfam is reviewing the operations of its three UK warehouses and has said it “cannot give guarantees” on the future of its high street shops, citing a “difficult economic climate”.
The charity said it has no plans to close either warehouses or shops. But insiders fear the Batley site in West Yorkshire, which houses Oxfam’s main textile recycling centre, could shut as part of a cost-cutting drive because its lease is up for renewal. The other two warehouses are in Bicester and Milton Keynes. Together the three sites employ about 90 people.
A source said Oxfam was considering closing up to 100 of its more than 500 UK outlets because sales at some were no longer viable. “Donations have dropped off,” the insider said, adding that the shops were also facing competition from online sellers of secondhand goods such as Vinted. “Oxfam is always more expensive, and that’s starting to have an effect,” the source said.
Oxfam GB did not confirm any closure numbers. Lorna Fallon, its chief supporter officer, said: “As is standard practice, we keep all parts of our retail operations under review via regular meetings. While we cannot give guarantees in this difficult economic climate, we are confident in and positive about our current retail performance and do not have plans to close our shops or warehouses at this time.”
The pressure from secondhand marketplaces is not confined to Oxfam. Charity retailers across the sector have moved stock on to platforms such as Depop and Vinted in an effort to offset weaker sales in physical stores, while Vinted itself has moved into profit on the back of a 61 per cent rise in sales.
The review follows two years of losses at Oxfam Activities, the charity’s trading arm. The division sells new goods through Oxfam’s shops, runs the Batley textile recycling plant and supplies stewards for festivals. It lost more than £2m in the year to March 2025, having also lost more than £2m the previous year. Sales fell by 7 per cent in the year to March 2025, driven by a slump in income from recycling. The division’s figures do not include direct income from the stores.
Fallon set those losses against the wider contribution of the retail operation. “In [the last financial year], Oxfam GB’s shops, warehouses and online retail teams generated a £6.3m (net) contribution to our humanitarian work, as well as raising dedicated funds through emergency appeals to support crises in Venezuela, the Middle East and Ukraine,” she said. Oxfam GB’s annual report and accounts for 2024/25 are published on its website, and its filings are recorded on the Charity Commission register.
Fallon also pointed to recent changes in the retail business. She said Oxfam had launched a new online rental service, brought fulfilment of online orders back in-house, and opened a second superstore, in Manchester.
The Batley site remains the main focus of concern among staff because of the lease renewal. Oxfam has not said when the review of its warehouses will conclude.
