As Oxfam expands into rental and livestream shopping, retail director Rachel Cosgrove-Pearce explains why its stores and volunteers remain the engine behind its digital growth.
For Oxfam, digital innovation is not about replacing the charity shop experience. It is about amplifying it. As second-hand fashion becomes increasingly mainstream, the charity is leaning into ecommerce, rental and livestream selling.
However, its retail director Rachel Cosgrove-Pearce is clear that the organisation’s physical stores, and the people who run them, remain at the heart of the model.
“We’ve been quite lucky because we’ve had our online platform for quite some time,” Cosgrove-Pearce says. “It was quite sector-leading actually, and we’re just re-platforming to make the experience even better.”
What makes Oxfam’s approach distinctive is that its digital channels are not treated as separate businesses. They are built around the knowledge and expertise of its stores.
“What works really well for us is that the shops treat each shop as their own business,” explains Cosgrove-Pearce. “They can utilise the online platform from the shop, so it’s very much part of the shop offer, rather than sending it off to a third-party for them to list.”
That shop-led structure is crucial in a sector where every product is different. Unlike traditional retailers, Oxfam cannot rely on predictable ranges or repeat stock. Its proposition depends on spotting the value in donated goods, from everyday fashion to rare books, collectibles and designer pieces, and deciding the best route to market.
“[The shops] have volunteers who specialise in online, in valuations, which is why we just get the amazing results we do,” she adds. “It’s embedded within.”
Those expertise have become even more important as the second-hand market grows more competitive. Fashion retailers, resale platforms and specialist vintage sellers are all trying to capture shoppers who are choosing pre-loved as a first choice, whether for sustainability, affordability or access to hard-to-find products. Cosgrove-Pearce believes Oxfam has a unique position in that landscape.
“The second-hand market is big,” she says. “Second-hand is becoming even more popular as first choice. People are really thinking about sustainability, product life, and how much we are producing. Anything we can do to attract more people to come and visit Oxfam is what it’s all about.”
The joy of discovery
Rental is one of the newest ways Oxfam is testing that opportunity. Launched ahead of Second Hand September, the pilot allows shoppers to rent distinctive occasionwear and designer pieces rather than buying items they may only wear once.
“We’re the first charity to really go for it on rental, which is super exciting,” she says. “We just see rental as the next natural step in the circular economy, giving people options.”
She argues that rental can remove the pressure around special occasions while extending the life of clothing.
“You are really extending the life of clothing,” she says. “This takes circularity to the next level for us, because many people are going to get the joy of discovery of unique pieces, but also be able to wear something and just have an amazing time and have a lovely memory attached to wearing it without feeling guilty that it then sits in a wardrobe.”
Oxfam will monitor the rental pilot closely, but early signs point to curiosity from shoppers. “We’ve had quite a lot of visitors to the site,” Cosgrove-Pearce says. “It’s quite early, really, to see if people are going to make that switch. But this is something that will grow in popularity.”
Shared experience
Livestream shopping is another digital format Oxfam is using to bring discovery, entertainment and community into ecommerce. Its first eBay Live session sold out, and Cosgrove-Pearce says the success lay not just in the revenue generated, but in the human connection the format created.
“It was joyful,” she says. “I was having my lunch break as I was watching it, and just got completely absorbed in it.”
The event was hosted by a member of Oxfam’s marketing team, who presented the products live and responded to shoppers in the chat. “Everything sold,” Cosgrove-Pearce says. “She did incredibly well.”
For a retailer whose stock depends on one-off donations, live shopping offers a way to recreate the sense of find and discovery that defines charity shopping.
“Online is very transactional. But it just took me back to shopping channels. People were commenting on the different items in the chat, and it just felt like a really nice shared experience.”
The charity is already planning further live shopping events, including sessions focused on trainers and collectibles. Cosgrove-Pearce says eBay has been working with Oxfam on optimal timings to drive interaction.
For Oxfam, the appeal is both commercial and strategic: “In an hour of time, we wouldn’t make that amount of money in an hour in a shop,” she says. “If we can attract new people in, that’s what it’s all about.”
Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in discovery. While Oxfam has national accounts across major platforms, individual stores are building their own communities online. Cosgrove-Pearce highlights the Putney shop as a standout example, describing its Instagram content as “hilarious” and “so good”.
“Employee-generated content is always so fabulous and engaging,” she says. “They’re building those communities across the country.”
Finding the gems
That store-level personality matters as Oxfam looks to reach younger shoppers who may already be buying second-hand through commercial resale platforms, but have not yet considered a charity retailer.
“I’m an avid charity shopper now,” Cosgrove-Pearce says. “I pretty much buy everything second-hand as my first choice because you just get the gems. You never know what you’re going to find in any of our shops or online across our platforms.”
Technology, however, still has to work hard behind the scenes. Oxfam is investing in its online platform and exploring tools that can speed up the time it takes to list items online. For a donated goods retailer, where volume and uniqueness create operational complexity, improving listing speed can directly affect how much stock reaches customers.
Cosgrove-Pearce explains: “You’ve got to invest in these systems because things are changing, and you’ve just got to keep up to speed and keep that positive customer experience, whether that’s in the shop or whether that’s their online experience.”
For all the focus on new formats, Cosgrove-Pearce returns repeatedly to the same point: the shops are the experts. They understand what has been donated, how to price it, when to send an item online, and when something is special enough for auction. “Our shops really do maximise the value of every donation, and their expertise is just phenomenal,” she says.
That expertise has already delivered eye-catching results, including rare finds that have sold for significant sums.
In July, a first edition of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien was donated to the Oxfam store in Harborne, Birmingham. A member of staff recognised how significant the book was, before sending it for specialist assessment. It sold at auction for £38,400.
For Oxfam, the ultimate purpose of such finds and its investment in both stores and digital is to raise more money for its charitable work.
“Everyone is just so committed to making the world a fairer place,” Cosgrove-Pearce stresses. “Ultimately, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to raise as much money as we possibly can for Oxfam.”
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