# Oxfam’s Christmas high street sales rose by more than 40%

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/01/11/oxfams-christmas-high-street-sales-rose-by-more-than-40/
- Published: 2023-01-11T09:30:00+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Oxfam’s high street shop takings rose by more than 40% in the week before Christmas,
compared to the previous year, reaching £2.68 million. At the same time, online 
sales fell.**

The week was the highpoint of [Oxfam’s](https://www.oxfam.org.uk/) festive trading
period (30 October – 31 December 2022), which saw year-on-year sales across the 
charity’s shops and e-commerce operations increase by 6% to £20.8mn. This raised
an extra £1.1mn compared to the same period in 2021.

Oxfam’s high street shops accounted for most of its Christmas-time takings, achieving
9% more in sales compared to the same period in 2021. Sales were also consistently
up across almost the entire nine-week trading period, compared to the year before.
Five of the festive trading weeks took sales of more than £2mn each.

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Sales of donated goods rose by 10% in high street stores, totalling £11.4mn, and
sales of Sourced by Oxfam, the charity’s range of ethically sourced and sustainable
new products, grew by 9%.

Womenswear was the best-selling product category in high street stores with like-
for-like sales up by 14% and shop managers reporting a strong demand for partywear.
Books were the next best-seller on high streets with sales up by 12% and fiction
particularly popular. Donated accessories rose by 9% and homewares by 6%.

Oxfam’s Online Shop sales however fell by 22% compared to the previous year, which
its retail team believe may be related to consumer uncertainty about postal deliveries
during this time.

Lorna Fallon, Oxfam’s Retail Director said:

> “We are delighted with our Christmas sales and it’s really thanks to shop teams,
> our staff and volunteers, and of course the British public who so kindly donate
> and shop with us. Customers flocked to Oxfam stores to find what they wanted and
> needed for Christmas. They decided to look locally for unique and meaningful gifts
> that would make their money stretch further and benefit a good cause.”