British Heart Foundation Plans to Close 150 Charity Shops
The British Heart Foundation has announced plans to close 150 of its charity shops, according to the Guardian, which reported the plan on 31 October 2026. The charity aims to close 90 stores by the end of March 2027 and another 60 by the following March.
The charity says its shop network is the largest on the British high street of any UK charity, and its retail arm employs almost 3,700 people. Its shops made a £3.3 million loss in the last financial year, according to the Guardian. The charity's shop profits had already fallen sharply in recent years. Net profit from retail trading was £18.8 million in 2024, down from £24.9 million the year before, according to its annual accounts. In the year to 31 March 2025, shop profits were £3.6 million.
Costs have risen as well. The charity reported retail trading costs of £240.1 million, up 5% from £229.6 million in 2025, in its 2026 annual report. Its 2025 report said retail trading had faced a difficult year, in line with the wider retail sector. The charity has described its charity shop trading as "exceptionally challenging."
Oxfam's shops have also seen a drop in profit. The charity's retail profit fell 23% to £4.9 million in its last financial year, down from £6.4 million the year before, according to the Financial Times. The year in question ends in March 2026. Lorna Fallon heads Oxfam's retail operation. The Guardian reported that Oxfam has no plans to reduce its number of shops, and that its focus is on books and music.
The money raised for charitable work has shrunk too. For every £100 spent in Oxfam shops, £6 now goes towards the charity's work on alleviating global poverty, down from £22 as recently as 2022, the Guardian reported.
The shops operate in a growing market. According to GlobalData, UK spending on secondhand clothing has quadrupled over the past decade, rising to £8.8 billion a year. Other charities have also been reducing their high street presence. Cancer Research UK and Scope have closed, or are closing, some of their charity shops, the Guardian reported.
