This summer, St Luke’s Hospice unveiled a new curated pre-loved fashion store to the area of The Moor. As consumers become more conscious towards sustainability, this new charity concept store is a timely addition to its fundraising mix as pre-loved fashion is predicted to grow 3x faster than the wider clothing market.

The new shop has helped engage a new demographic as well as contribute toward the £7.5 million target required from its retail stores, fundraising campaigns, events, and other income generating activities to support its running costs, which last year totalled totalled £11.5 million.

Support and services offered by St Luke’s Hospice

The Sheffield-based hospice supports 1800 patients with terminal illnesses each year, as well as their families, and provides holistic care from the point of diagnosis and beyond.

Contrary to belief, most patients never set foot in the hospice building, and 31% of patients have a non-cancer diagnosis. Eight out of 10 people cared for by St Luke’s are supported by hospice teams in their own homes or within the community.

St Luke’s Patient and Family Services support patients, clients, and their families to access many free services including physio and occupational therapy, wellbeing and creative therapies, guided meditation, acupuncture, spa bathing, aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, social work, chaplaincy, spiritual support, and bereavement support.

Combining pre-loved fashion, curation, ethical shopping under one roof

Barley Taylor, Shop Manager for the game-changing St Luke’s store, said: “With pre-loved and retro fashion becoming mainstream and altering a great number of retail models for countless high street brands, it only made sense for St Luke’s Hospice, as a modern charity, to get on board.”

“As part of our new concept, the store looks visually different from our other stores and feels at home next to H&M, Monki, Urban Outfitters, Glass Onion, and other traditional fashion retail brands already on the high street.”

The new store, which opened in August, stocks items that are pre-loved, donated, recycled, and upcycled, with fixtures and fittings matching the same brief as the clothing they surround and celebrate.

With large-format video walls to showcase looks and bookable personal shoppers on hand to help, customers can curate spectacular stand-out looks.

Positive impact for community, patients and environment

The Moor store has exceeded expectations and has had a positive impact on the whole of St Luke’s retail network, helping enhance the pre-loved offering from the St Luke’s retail chain that wasn’t there before and providing something fresh alongside Vintage in Broomhill, Boutique in Nether Edge, and Clearance in Hillsborough.

Marie Egerton, Head of Retail at St Luke’s Hospice explains how the new shop has been much more than a retail space, but has broadened its audience. “The interest from students in particular has been overwhelming, and subsequently we have now begun to collaboratively work with both Sheffield Universities much more closely than ever before. We have incorporated this collaboration into student portfolios across many subject courses, which has been very exciting.”

“The store on The Moor has allowed us to reach a different type of shopper and volunteer but has also enhanced the sustainability message of pre-loved fashion and help break down barriers of what charity retail has to offer everyone.”