Beckie Harrison and the staff and volunteers at Oxfam in Newport are gearing up for their busiest time of the year.
A study by Oxfam has found that the UK is set for a second hand Christmas this year with the number of people willing to give and receive pre-loved gifts is on the rise.
This comes as no surprise to Beckie. She says: “There are lots of reasons that people shop second hand. For some it’s financial reasons, for others it’s environmental, but there is no doubt that it’s becoming increasingly acceptable to give pre-loved pressies.
“Christmas is always a busy time in the Newport shop. We have over 30 active volunteers working Monday – Saturday 9-5pm & Sundays 10:30am -3:30pm to make sure the shelves stayed filled with great stock. Our popular sellers at this time of year tend to be jumpers, coats, pre-loved toys, books & homewares.
“We really hope that people coming to the high street, consider popping in to Oxfam as we have pre-loved presents and brand new gifts as well as cards, chocolate goodies, wrapping, decorations and everything shoppers need to get ready for Christmas.
“We all love this time of year in the shop as it’s busy but fun and we love helping people pick out the perfect presents. We’re happy that our supporters are proud to give pre-loved gifts this year, making them snazzy sustainable superheroes!”
The Oxfam study of 3,000 shoppers who celebrate the festive season found 94 per cent who are gifting second-hand are looking to save money during the cost-of-living crisis. And pre-loved gifting is on the up, with 33 per cent doing so this year compared with just 25 per cent in a comparable study carried out in 2021 – a percentage increase of a third in just two years.
Lorna Fallon, director of retail for Oxfam said: “Attitudes towards buying second hand are really shifting. The clear majority of us now feel it is acceptable to give pre-loved gifts at Christmas.
“Whether it is the cost-of-living crisis or environmental concerns that are driving people to buy pre-loved, it is encouraging to know that a third of all shoppers are planning to buy second hand this year. Pre-loved gifts give items a longer life and they can go on to bring joy to others.”
The study also found exactly a quarter of those polled are planning to make second-hand gifting a tradition with their loved ones each Christmas. As just over half of respondents (53 per cent) said it’s a good lesson to pass on to future generations.
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