Oxfam plans to open giant charity shop in Oxford

Oxford City Council need to give the go-ahead to the outside displays first.

Plans for the secondhand supermarket in Cowley have been submitted by bosses at Oxfam, who want to the open the charity’s first superstore.

If all goes to plan, a 14,500-sq ft warehouse at Oxford Business Park will be revamped into a large-scale charity shop selling bargain clothes and homewares such as electronics, vinyls and furnishings.

The plans also include a community space and meeting rooms where the charity will host workshops, activities and talks.

Here's what it looks like now:

The shop will run alongside the charity's Future Skills project – a volunteering, training and mentoring scheme for women who want to build a better life for themself.

The idea is the superstore will become an ‘immersive’ experience, giving an insight into the work the charity does to fight poverty around the world.

Read more: The 7 plans submitted to Oxford City Council this week

Next to the rails and racks there will also be a cafe boasting Fairtrade flavours from around the world, all built inside a giant recycled water tank.

The tank is similar to those used by the charity to carry large amounts of clean water to countries in crisis.

The charity also works with volunteers in countries hit by natural disasters to give life-saving supplies.

Oxfam currently has 600 shops across the UK which help raise money to do Oxfam's life-saving work, but the megastore will be the first of its kind.

As well as secondhand clothes and homewares, the shop will also sell a ‘sourced by Oxfam' range.

These are brand new items sold on the promise of being ethically sourced.

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Oxfam’s trading director, Andrew Horton, said: “We’re so excited about opening our first ever superstore in Oxford – where the charity began over 75 years ago and where the first Oxfam shop opened its doors in 1948.

“The superstore will be more than a shop – it will be a place for the community to get together, a café, as well as offering a huge choice of bargains and one-of-a-kind finds in a fantastic family friendly environment.”

The plans that need to be approved by the council first is for giant letters pinned on to the wall which will say ‘Oxfam Superstore’ at either end of the warehouse. 

Ahead of the shop's opening, the team behind it will be taking in donations to build up their stock at the nearby Storage King on Garsington Road on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

When the shop opens, donors will be able to do drive-through donations – pulling up in their car and handing over preloved goods at a window.

The shop is due to be open be open four days a week from summer, and is looking for volunteers and employees to fill up the 11 potential roles.

Find out more about the plans at oxfam.org.uk/superstoreoxford