Breathing life into local communities

When Oxfam approached Start to redesign their flagship superstore it was clear that this was a fantastic opportunity to completely reinvent the concept of the charity shop. We set about reimagining Oxfam’s superstore to put the community at the very heart of it, using engaging stories to bring local people closer to the charity’s core overseas work.

To enhance this sense of community the store is designed around a central café, making socialising a key aspect of the experience, while the whole concept is modular so that parts of the store can be removed to provide space for community-based events. The sheer scale of the store also means that Oxfam can showcase their projects abroad through high-hanging imagery, while using the feel of a marketplace to bring to life the countries and cultures they work in.