Major charity retailer with 500 branches abruptly shuts ‘cheerful’ high street store and shoppers are gutted
CHARITY shoppers are distraught after a “cheerful” high street store was closed down by a major retailer.
High maintenance and building costs forced the organisation, which has 500 branches, to shut up shop in a location that was loved by customers.
Oxfam has made the “difficult decision” to wave goodbye to Abergavenny, Wales.
Social media users were quick to express their sadness at the move.
Graham Powell wrote: “Always a great range of books in there. Sad day.”
Jules Foster-Price speculated: “Very sad to read this. I wonder if the crippling rental and charges had anything to do with it?”
A Google review from six years ago shows the shop had been adored for some time, with Geraint Straiker writing: “Good quality, clean donations with cheerful service.”
Speaking on the closure in Abergavenny, an Oxfam spokesperson said it was a tough choice, but building and maintenance ultimately proved too financially challenging.
The spokesperson said: “We have made the difficult decision to close the Oxfam shop in Abergavenny.
“We are very sorry to have to make this choice and thank the staff and the excellent team of volunteers for their hard work and support.
“Oxfam shops exist to raise as much money as possible to fund our work with communities around the world to overcome poverty and suffering.
“We constantly evaluate the performance of all our shops and sometimes this leads to difficult decisions about the viability of particular shops, as it has in this case – due to high and unsustainable building and maintenance costs.”
It comes after Oxfam last month pulled down the shutters in Telford, Wellington, Shropshire – following nearly half a century at the site.
Some locals called the development an “end of an era”.
Another said: “What a shame it’s closing. Well done to all who worked hard to keep it going so long.”
In April, Oxfam also closed a store in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Like in Abergavenny, the charity said maintenance costs caused the decision.
But despite the apparent headwinds for shops amid running costs, the spokesperson declared: “We remain committed to looking for new shop opportunities in Wales and around the UK.”
Oxfam previously told The Sun customers could continue supporting the charity through the online shop.