Future of Oxfam stores uncertain as charity reviews warehouse operations

The future of Oxfam’s store estate has been thrown into doubt as new reports suggest that the charity retail chain is reviewing its warehouse operations. According to sources for the Guardian, Oxfam is reviewing the operations of its warehouses in Batley, Bicester and Milton Keynes, and “cannot give guarantees” on the future of its stores amid a “difficult economic climate”.

While the retailer told the media outlet it had no imminent plans to close warehouses or shops, sources fear some locations may shutter as part of a cost-cutting strategy, including its Batley warehouse, where Oxfam houses its textile recycling division. Around 90 people are employed across the three warehouses.

More broadly, up to 100 UK outlets are believed to be in the firing line due to disappointing sales performance and rising competition from online resale platforms like Vinted. The news comes after Oxfam reported a two million pound loss for the year to March 2025, while sales dropped 7 percent.

In a statement, Lorna Fallon, chief support officer of Oxfam GB, noted that while the retailer had generated a 6.3 million pound net contribution to humanitarian work, “we keep all parts of our retail operations under review via regular meetings” as “standard practice”. “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,” Fallon added.

Oxfam joins a growing number of charity retailers struggling to stabilise in a challenging high street environment. In July, the British Heart Foundation confirmed plans to close 87 stores across the UK, with 63 more under review, amid declining profits and shifts in donation patterns. Cancer Research UK also announced it is shrinking its core chain from around 500 shops to roughly 320, with 90 closing by May 2026 and up to 100 more by April 2027.