Inside Books: Is Oxfam the Amazon of the High Street?

When I read an article in the Telegraph recently, which pointed out that Oxfam is the third biggest retailer of books in the UK, I got a shock similar to when I learnt, last year, that The Bookseller had named Sainsbury’s chain bookseller of the year.

It feels peculiar to think of brands like Oxfam and Sainsbury’s as lead players in the book world. If I think of bricks-and-mortar bookshops, I think of the big chains like Waterstones, Blackwell’s and WH Smith. And I think of the independents, like Daunt’s, Foyles, and other small local shops. Supermarkets and charity shops are completely different operations. So the news that they are competing so successfully in the book market makes me wonder if they’re doing something very well indeed, or if the field is sloped in their favour.

The Oxfam bookshop is a very clever concept. It is far more than just a place to buy books.