Charity shops across Britain are struggling as changes in the second-hand clothing market hit traditional models. Oxfam's interim chief executive Richard Hawkes claims the organization is "doing incredibly well" despite a 23% drop in retail profit to £4.9mn in 2025/26. The British Heart Foundation plans to close 150 stores after its retail arm lost money and funded no charitable work.
Online platforms like Vinted are benefiting while Chinese clothing companies have driven down prices for unwanted clothes. UK spending on second-hand clothing has quadrupled to £8.8bn, but consumers sell items online instead of donating them. Catherine Shuttleworth, a retail consultant, warns this is "a proper crisis for the sector about whether it survives," with charity boards questioning continued retail operations.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing