Oxfam’s retail profit fell 23% in its latest financial year, while the British Heart Foundation reported a retail loss and proposed about 150 shop closures as costs and trading pressures mount.
The Financial Times reported, citing unpublished accounts, that Oxfam’s retail profit was £4.9 million, down from £6.4 million a year earlier. The accounts also put the amount its shops contributed to global poverty work at £6 for every £100 in sales, compared with £22 in 2022.
GlobalData estimated that annual UK spending on secondhand clothing reached £8.8 billion, about four times its level a decade earlier. The Guardian reported that online services such as Vinted and Depop let consumers sell directly to one another, a route that may draw some clothing away from charity donations.
Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, told The Guardian that resale platforms may also build interest in secondhand shopping and bring people into charity shops to find items they can resell. He pointed to rising costs, including changes to employer National Insurance set out in the November 2024 budget, as well as broader inflation. Tansy Hoskins, author of Charity Shop World, told the newspaper that shops were also receiving more low-quality clothing.
The British Heart Foundation’s annual report recorded a £3.3 million net loss in its retail arm for 2025-26. The charity has proposed reducing its shop network by about 150 locations over two years, citing rising costs and difficult trading across the sector. Its plan calls for roughly 90 closures by the end of March 2027, with the rest by March 2028; some staff and central retail teams would be affected.
The BHF plans to keep accepting donations through its remaining shops and other services, including home collections in some areas. The Guardian reported that Oxfam expects to maintain its current shop network, with its focus on books and music among the reasons.
