Yahoo News Oxfam stopping collection and online sale of second hand goods amid coronavirus pandemic
Oxfam is suspending all sales of second hand goods from its online shop and discontinuing collections of donated items amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The international aid charity has already closed all 600 of its shops, with each one hosting a volunteer workforce of about 30 people.
Its temporary pause only applies to second hand items and customers can still place online orders of new goods from the Sourced by Oxfam range for now. That is because these are processed at a facility where social distancing measures can be implemented, the charity said.
Customers can also continue ordering Unwrapped charity gift cards, it added.
Oxfam said it is aiming to collect all goods donated to date in the coming days, but asked members of the public not to leave donations at banks or outside shops, and instead to hold onto them until operations resume.
Anne Webb, Oxfam's deputy trading director, said: "Our online shop relies on our amazing staff and volunteers to list, pack and post thousands of second hand items. We must prioritise the well-being of our people, and the communities they live in, by urging them to stay at home.
"Sadly this also means we will be suspending collections of second hand goods from our network of donation points across the country. We are asking the public to please hang onto goods until we are able to start collecting again - their generosity makes Oxfam's work fighting poverty around the world possible."
Ms Webb added that the charity will be contacting customers with outstanding orders to arrange a refund in the coming days.
Oxfam's shop stocks more than 100,000 second hand products from clothes and books to furniture and music.
