Charity Super.Mkt, the ‘department store for second-hand style’ launched earlier this year by Maria Chenoweth and Wayne Hemingway, will open at Westgate Oxford this month as part of the ‘WasteLess Wonderland’ Christmas experience.
The Westgate Oxford store, which will be located on the Lower Mall next to & Other Stories, will join Shepherd’s Bush and Greater Manchester as new locations for the brand, which has previously opened successful pop-ups in London, Kent, Glasgow and Reading.
The opening at Westgate Oxford responds to the growing popularity of pre-loved shopping and will create a unique retail experience for guests looking for quality, affordable products.
The Charity Super.Mkt concept has proved hugely popular with shoppers thanks to its curated collections of second-hand fashion. To date, 151,113 items of clothing have been snapped up, generating sales of more than £1.2m for charities and creating a much-needed additional income stream for charities including Shelter, Cancer Research, Age UK and TRAID.
Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, said: “We know that pre-loved fashion is something our guests are asking for more and more – we hosted multiple second-hand clothing pop-ups this summer so to be able to open a charity-focused store on a much bigger scale, really is great news.
“The trend for pre-loved fashion is growing year-on-year and we’re committed to evolving our offer, so we stay relevant for our guests.
“This is a huge win-win for Westgate Oxford guests as we welcome a fantastic brand, selling stylish, hand-picked garments whilst benefitting a range of UK charities.
“Charity Super.Mkt is a proven concept which has been exciting shoppers across the UK and their ethos aligns with our continued commitment to becoming a more sustainable retail destination, so we’re delighted to welcome them here as they embark on a national expansion programme.”
Wayne Hemingway, Charity Super.Mkt Co-founder, said: “It is a mere 11 months since we started on this journey to show that charity secondhand fashion could and should be part of a modern retail mix in the busiest of shopping centres. Charity Super.Mkt is proving that and much more.
“Not only is the concept exciting customers, allowing them to do their bit for society, the environment and their own pockets, it is creating uplifts in footfall and most importantly every pound spent is a ‘good pound’, so customers are providing much needed income for a range of brilliant causes.”
TRAID CEO and Co-founder, Maria Chenoweth, commented: “My career and ambition has always been to promote second-hand fashion as the most impactful way to dress ourselves. The creation of Charity Super.Mkt has brought charity retailers into mainstream retail, gaining locations that would have otherwise been inaccessible.
“Charity Super.Mkt gives charities the opportunity to raise more funds, and that means more nursing time in hospices, more support for animals, more research into cancer and in TRAID’s case, more support for the people who make our clothes. We’re really excited to be taking Charity Super.Mkt into the heart of Oxford for the first time.”
Data from the Charity Retail Association showed that second-hand shopping is booming in 2023 with sales increasing 15 per cent year-on-year between January and March.
The arrival of Charity Super.Mkt coincides with the launch of a brand new, alternative Christmas experience at Westgate Oxford, ‘WasteLess Wonderland’, which is being designed and curated by HemingwayDesign.
WasteLess Wonderland will showcase some incredible talent from the city and beyond as part of a Christmas market experience which will offer ‘good-for-the-planet’ gifts from independent designer makers, festive food produce, and street food from local suppliers as well as workshops that reuse and repurpose leftovers from Christmases past.
Launching on Friday 24 November and running until 22 December, guests will be able to experience an eclectic, festival line-up of attractions, events and experiences including Christmas star-making workshops using only wood offcuts, kaleidoscope gift-making using recycled Christmas cards and Japanese zero-waste gift-wrapping courtesy of the Furoshiki Wrap Company.
Charity Super.Mkt will open at Westgate Oxford from 24th November until 23rd December, it will be located on the Lower Mall next to & Other Stories.
Charity Super.Mkt's 3 charities are:
- TRAID
- Havens Hospice
- Sobell Hospice
