Oxfam Superstore Manchester

Oxfam’s Manchester Superstore is a flagship destination fusing purpose with presence. Commissioned to bring the Oxfam’s values to life through a unique branded environment, we crafted a retail experience where every corner speaks to activism, sustainability, and community.

Objectives

  • Translate Oxfam’s mission into a physical space with purpose-driven design.

  • Create a vibrant, welcoming environment that educates, inspires, and activates.

  • Design a brand experience scalable to future Oxfam Superstores across the UK.

Design Approach

Visual Identity: A bold, typographic system designed to be loud, proud, and full of purpose.

Tone of Voice: The language across the store is inspired by protest and grassroots action—clear, collective, and galvanising. Every word is a call to change.

Zonal Messaging

The zonal messaging in the Oxfam Superstore Manchester was crafted to connect everyday shopping with global issues. Each area of the store delivers a punchy, purpose-led message—like “Dress for the world you want” in clothing, and “Ordinary never changed the world” in homeware — designed to educate and inspire action. These headlines frame the store’s categories through the lens of activism, reinforcing the idea that the act of shopping can be a step toward change.

Hero Spaces

The Atrium
A towering textile installation featuring the words “You Me Us We: Together We Can Change the World” sets the tone the moment customers enter. We commissioned textile artist and independent scholar Sarah-Joy Ford to create a bespoke banner symbolising unity. Her work brings rich layers of identity and resistance to the space, aligning perfectly with the store’s activist spirit and message of inclusion.

Bother Poster Wall
We designed the Bother wall to showcase bold Oxfam campaign covers from the 80s and 90s. Though decades old, their messages on inequality and activism still resonate. The installation connects past and present, turning archive material into a striking call for change.

Fashion Timeline & Photo Wall
We designed a large-scale timeline wall for the café space, tracing key moments in the history of fashion, from the Industrial Revolution to the rise of fast fashion and the second-hand movement. Juxtaposing global events with milestones in Oxfam’s retail journey, the timeline invites visitors to reflect on how fashion, exploitation, and activism have always been connected—and why second-hand shopping matters more than ever.

Fitting Room Artist Spaces

We collaborated with three brilliant local artists — Safrana Musa, Olamide Florence, and Oskar with a K — to transform the fitting rooms into spaces that honour identity and activism. Each mural brings to life the story of a woman from Oxfam’s global programme work: Nyathak, a water engineer in Ethiopia; Hamda, a team leader at Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan; and Hilda, a climate activist in Zimbabwe. Through bold colour, rich patterns, and thoughtful narrative, the artists turned these quiet, often-overlooked spaces into moments of connection and reflection.

  • Creative Direction
    Janine Roberts
    Design & Art Direction
    Ed Berry
    Copywriter
    Vicky McGarvey
    Studio Manager/Producer
    Anna Lincoln
    Artists and Collaborators
    Sarah-Joy Ford
    Safrana Musa
    Olamide Florence
    Oskar with a K