Oxfam announces retail strategy overhaul to boost online focus
Melanie May | 11 March 2022 | News
Oxfam is overhauling its retail operations in a bid to reach more online customers and supporters around the world.
It’s working to centralise and streamline its multichannel online retail operations through a trial of Shopiago’s ecommerce platform, which is integrated with eBay, Shopify, Etsy and ShipEngine.
Oxfam’s shop and warehouse teams will list donations online, track stock movements and sales, and manage warehouse space through the platform, helping it to consolidate its online retail activity across the marketplaces it uses.
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The platform will also provide Oxfam with up-to-the minute data, helping Gift Aid to be claimed on more eligible items, and providing greater insight into what’s selling well online, which in turn will help with sourcing stock and help Oxfam to get the most from time spent listing and dispatching products. The trial will begin in Oxfam’s two major processing centres in April and some shops in May.
Andy Ostcliffe, Head of E-commerce and Retail Innovation at Oxfam GB said:
“We know that donated items reach a wider audience and generally get a higher price when they’re sold online, and our partnership with Shopiago forms a key part of our new retail strategy. We need to be where existing and potential customers are, and that’s online.”
“Our supporters are so generous with the goods they donate to our shops that we owe it to them to get the best possible price. This in turn raises vital funds which enable Oxfam to continue fighting poverty around the world.”
“Oxfam has operated a successful ecommerce operation for a number of years, offering customers second hand gems alongside brand new Sourced by Oxfam products on our dedicated online shop. We’re excited to build our business by entering other marketplaces and reaching a wider audience.”
Oxfam opened its very first charity shop in Oxford in September 1948 and opened its online shop in 2007. Online sales rose during the pandemic with many high street shops closed – at the beginning of 2021 for example, it announced that it had seen online sales increase by almost 90% during the 2020 festive period.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.