Inside HUGE new charity shop superstore where prices start from 99p – there’s even a cafe
OXFAM is opening a huge new charity shop with thousands of items available to buy for as little as 99p.
The charity shop is unveiling the second of its “superstores” which will have a whopping 10,000 sq ft of bargains and even a cafe to take a rest form shopping.
This Friday, July 19, the new Oxfam store will open at the Manchester Fort Shopping Park in Cheetham.
The secondhand hotspot features two floors of pre-loved items ranging from clothing and accessories to books, homewares and music.
Oxfam said that there is a beautiful selection of children’s soft toys and teddy bears priced from as little as 99p.
The superstore also has a selection of stunning jewellery – including earrings, necklaces and bracelets – from as little as £1.99.
There will also be an opening summer sale for shoppers to explore on the Sourced By Oxfam range of ethically-sourced and sustainable new products.
For example, the MioMojo handbags are recycled, biodegradable or bio-based bags created from foods such as apples and cactuses.
The store follows on from the success of Oxfam’s first superstore which debuted in Oxford in 2019 and is an astonishing 18,500 sq ft.
It comes as Oxfam announces exciting plans to open up to ten of the mega-sized shops over the next five years.
Lorna Fallon, Oxfam’s retail trading director, said: “We are thrilled to be opening Oxfam’s second ever superstore and couldn’t have picked a better location than Manchester.
“The store not only has an incredible treasure trove of pre-loved clothing, books, music and more – but we hope it will act as a social hub at the heart of the community for everyone to use and enjoy.
“The superstore also marks an exciting step in our plans to open more new superstores across the nation which will help raise even more money for our life-saving work around the globe.”
Inside the store, you can find a fashion timeline demonstrating Oxfam’s work on sustainability, gender justice and human rights in supply chains.
There is also a retro magazine wallpaper on the stairwell showing the issues Oxfam has been campaigning on from the 1970s.
As well as raising vital funds for Oxfam’s life-saving work, the superstore doubles as a community hub – offering an exciting space where people can work, volunteer, donate and shop, with space for community groups and workshops to meet.
Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain
Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London.
Choose your area – As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated.
Don’t hang around – If you see something you like, buy it, as it’ll likely be gone when you come back
Look out for cut-off labels – Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn’t sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay at home – While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too.
Oxfam is currently scouting for potential locations for new superstores and hopes to announce the location of the next superstore by the end of the year.
Charity shops typically have smaller locations on high streets and Oxfam has around 600 across the UK.
You can find your nearest by using the store locator tool on the Oxfam website.
But superstores usually have a wider array of bargains like larger furniture, that you won’t find on the high street.
British Heart Foundation has five “superstores” with branches found in Kingston, Coventry, Edinburgh, Peterlee and Castleford.
Cancer Research UK operates 30 – you can find your nearest one by using the “find a shop” tool on its website.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army has two megastores, based in Northampton and Banbury.