Martin House Children’s Hospice has reached a major milestone in its retail operations, generating £2 million in sales over the past year.

The figure covers the period from May 2025 to March 2026, and includes revenue from the hospice’s 13 charity shops, its Thorp Arch warehouse, and online platforms such as Vinted and eBay.

The achievement comes as the hospice, based in Boston Spa, continues to grow its digital retail offering, following investment in a dedicated online team three years ago. Over the last 12 months, online sales accounted for nearly 10% of total retail income – up from just 6% two years ago.

While e-commerce is growing, Martin House’s high street shops remain the heart of the operation, and continue to generate the majority of the income.

The last year has been one of our most successful to date. We’ve invested in new shop refurbishments, improved our systems, and made sure we offer the best possible experience for our customers. We focus on high-quality items at great value, and making sure there’s always something new to discover.

Online sales are an exciting area of growth for us, but our shops are still incredibly important. They’re part of the local community, and we’re really proud of that.

Like many charities, Martin House relies heavily on volunteers to keep its retail operation running, with nearly 300 regular volunteers helping to run its shops.

Our volunteers are absolutely essential: from serving customers to sorting donations, they make everything we do possible. We simply couldn’t have reached this milestone without them.

Despite this growth, the wider retail landscape continues to present challenges for the charity sector.

The rise of fast fashion means many donated items are not always suitable for resale, and rising costs like rent and energy are a real pressure for charity retailers. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we focus on quality and create welcoming, vibrant shops that people want to visit.

Income generated through retail plays a vital role in funding the hospice’s work.

Every year, Martin House cares for more than 500 children and young people with serious and complex health needs. Its services are available to families completely free of charge, 24/7, 365 days a year.

It costs around £12 million a year to provide this specialist care, so income from shops and online sales is more important than ever.

Looking ahead, Martin House plans to continue developing its retail strategy, with a focus on using data and insight to shape future growth.

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported Martin House, whether by donating items, shopping in our stores, or buying online. Every purchase helps us be there for families when they need us most.

To find out more about Martin House and how you can support it, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk
If you are interested in volunteering for the hospice, visit:
www.martinhouse.org.uk/volunteer