Oxfam’s move to capitalise on the ongoing trend for vintage fashion has paid off, with the charity now receiving more than 6,000 visits a week on its online vintage store.

Sales of vintage items by Oxfam has increased by 34 per cent since the development organisation set up a dedicated online vintage store in April last year, the first of its kind in the UK. Prior to that vintage items were sold in the general second hand clothes site.

The news comes as Oxfam prepares to set up its replica of its first ever charity shop (pictured) at the Vintage Festival at Southbank later this week, the festival itself a sign of how mainstream and popular vintage fashion and paraphernalia has become. A survey by YouGov for Oxfam found that a third of women prefer vintage items to new ones.  

Sarah Farquhar, head of retail at Oxfam, said: "We're seeing a real resurgence in the popularity of vintage fashion, particularly since the economic downturn when people want their money to go further."