Cancer Research UK closes 200 stores: what will happen to staff.

Closure of the charity organization’s stores

According to The Sun: The well-known charity retailer announced a plan to close nearly 200 of its stores. The organization Cancer Research UK stated that many of its charity shops will have to close within the next 18 months or become 'non-profitable'.

The first 90 stores will close by May 2026, and another 100 by April 2027. As a result, approximately 320 Cancer Research UK stores will remain.

Additionally, the charity organization plans to close its online marketplace in early 2026, which means it will no longer sell donated items through reselling platforms. However, the organization plans to open another 12 'supermarkets' by 2028.

Reasons for store closures

Cancer Research UK explains the store closures due to rising costs, inflationary processes, and changes in consumer habits. The organization has also been affected by new increases in national insurance contributions for employers, which were introduced by the government last year.

The changes will affect about 600 employees and up to 3,000 volunteers. The charity organization reported that some employees will be redirected to other positions, and others will be helped to find new employment opportunities.

“Without action, we predict that many of our stores will become non-profitable. A smaller, more efficient retail operation will allow us to fund more life-saving research.” – Michelle Mitchell, CEO

These changes are expected to increase the organization’s income by £12.4 million over the next five years.

Staff saddened by layoffs

The sharp reduction will affect warehouse and online workers by January, many of whom have received notices of potential layoffs. Employees learned about this during a video call conducted by retail head Julie Bayard.

“This is heart-wrenching. We have given years of our lives to this charity, and now we are being thrown out just before Christmas.” – insider

Julie Bayard sent an internal memo to employees informing them about the layoffs. She noted that, like other charity and retail chains, Cancer Research UK is facing “rapidly changing market conditions.”

“We know that if we do not take action, a significant portion of our stores and our online marketplace could become financially unstable over the next five years.” – Julie Bayard

Other charity retailers are also in a tough position

Other charity retailers are also facing similar challenges. For example, the charity organization Scope is closing dozens of its stores this year and warned that it may be forced to close part of its 138 shops.

By the end of March, 39 stores had already closed, and another 31 are planned to close between April this year and March 2026.

These changes in the operations of charity retailers indicate serious challenges facing the sector in times of economic instability. Issues such as rising costs and changes in consumer habits are forcing organizations to seek new approaches to business. It is currently important to monitor further developments that may impact the charity sector as a whole.