CHARITY Oxfam enjoyed a five-year high in Christmas-time sales at its Scottish shops.
Customers raised almost £1.2 million during the eight-week Christmas period from 29 October 29 – enough to provide clean water for more than 16,000 people in an emergency.
It seems more and more shoppers are recognising the potential humanitarian impact of their spending and sales in Oxfam’s 45 Scottish high-street shops were boosted by a range of “ethically sourced” products.
Among the top-selling lines were rolls of gift wrap, crackers, Christmas cards, chocolate advent calendars and chocolate coins.
Online sales, meanwhile, enjoyed an 11.6 per cent increase from the same period last year as consumers combined Christmas card shopping with helping fighting poverty.
Tom Richardson, Oxfam’s operations manager for Scotland, said: “We’re delighted by the healthy growth in sales, despite snow in the run-up to the festive period. As well as raising vital funds, Oxfam’s shops are community hubs; vibrant spaces where people work, volunteer, donate, shop and interact.”
To help cope with the expected wave of donations as post-Christmas clear-outs begin, the charity is appealing for fresh recruits to join 1000 shop volunteers.
Richardson added: “Oxfam relies on the goodwill and generosity of its volunteer team to keep its shops open – and we’re always looking for more help. We’ve all got the power to help change the world and everyone who volunteers in our shops is doing their bit, in their own way, to help create a fairer future for everyone.”
Shoppers in St Andrews received a special mention as the town’s South Street shop recorded a 30 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2016.
Richardson said: “I’d like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who has supported Oxfam’s shops across Scotland over the Christmas period – our customers, volunteers and staff should all be proud of the money they’ve raised to help the world’s poorest people.”
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