M&S has joined forces with Oxfam and eBay to launch a new pre-loved school uniform swap scheme at hundreds of its stores across the UK.
In what is a first-time collaboration between the national retailer, global welfare charity, and online secondhand marketplace, M&S’s long-standing and hugely-successful ‘Shwopping’ scheme has now been extended with the introduction of more than 200 dedicated school uniform Shwop boxes inside stores nationwide.
Shoppers can donate their pre-loved school uniform to M&S’s ‘Back-to-School Shwopping Boxes’, and receive vouchers for up to 20% off selected items in the retailer’s kidswear section.
All pre-loved school uniform pieces donated to the new M&S boxes will first be inspected to see if they pass the hand-me-down quality test, and once they do, will then be given a second life in an Oxfam shop somewhere in the UK.
Also for the first time, the pieces will even be made available on a dedicated pre-loved school uniform shop on eBay too.
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M&S launches new pre-loved school uniform swap scheme at hundreds UK stores / Credit: M&S
By partnering with eBay, M&S and Oxfam say they hope the new scheme – which has been launched as a pilot, with the hopes of a full nationwide rollout in due course – will mean that even more families can access affordable and great quality school uniform “no matter where they live or how they choose to shop”.
And if all of that wasn’t important enough as it is, M&S says that every school uniform sale, whether it be through Oxfam’s shops or via eBay, will also raise funds to support the vital work that Oxfam does to tackle poverty and inequality all around the world.
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Any school uniform that can’t be resold in Oxfam shops or on eBay will be recycled or reused wherever possible, M&S has confirmed.
The retailer has joined forces with Oxfam and eBay for the new scheme / Credit: M&S
M&S’s Kidswear Director Alexandra Dimitriu said the new ‘Back-to-School Shwopping Boxes’ are just one of the many ways the retailer is “trying to make our best-in-class school uniform accessible to all families, however and whenever they choose to shop.”
Lorna Fallon, who is Oxfam’s Retail Director, added that the new scheme is “a win-win initiative”, as it not only helps parents who may be struggling with the cost of kitting their children out for school, but it’s also a simple way for shoppers to “make a huge difference” to the environment as it gives garments a longer lifecycle, and raises funds for Oxfam’s lifesaving work along the way.
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eBay’s Head of Pre-Loved Fashion, Lucy Peacock, says the cost of living crisis has created “greater education poverty” and “an ever-increasing need for school uniforms”, which is why the marketplace is “proud” to be able to help pilot the new scheme.
Keep your eye out for M&S’s new ‘Back-to-School Shwopping Boxes’ at stores across Greater Manchester and the UK.
Featured Image – M&S
Shopping
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Discount flights from Manchester up for grabs as easyJet’s ‘Big Orange Sale’ returns for 2026
Danny Jones
Get ready to book in some annual leave, because easyJet’s ‘Big Orange Sale’ is BACK for 2026, with cheap flights from Manchester and more up for grabs.
Not only can you get affordable trips from Manchester Airport, specifically, but there are discounts across the board by the operator.
The Big Orange Sale is becoming an increasingly popular annual occurrence for Brits, with countless holidaymakers, rather fittingly, making the most of the offer.
In fact, you might have already seen the advert yourselves:
Packing our bags already.
Just as the ad explains, those travelling via easyJet can get up to 20% discount on flights to a load of different destinations across the globe.
Yes, the company are knocking up to a fifth off the price on flights over the course of nearly 10 months’ worth of travel from the UK, provided the trip is booked within the right window.
Seeing savings on more than 730,000 seats, the time frame itself is also one of the longest cut-price periods you’ll come across this year, not to mention well into 2027.
Better still, it doesn’t just stop at flying itself…
Get this, the flight operators and travel agents are offering up to £400 off on package holidays, meaning those old faithful all-inclusives are about to become even more bang for your buck.
Featuring not only countless mainland European favourites on the list, but also the likes of the Canary Islands, Morocco, and numerous popular skiing hotspots, just to name a few.
In ideal news for all you lot, approximately 90,000 of these reduced seats are on flights from Manchester Airport, with the operators also having just added 30 new locations to the areas they service.
Allowing you to book trips departing between 1 May 2026 and 14 March 2027, it’s a huge travel window for you to get extra value-for-money deals on your next getaway.
You can find the full list of flights and package holidays on easyJet’s Big Orange Sale right HERE.
Speaking of airports, you’ll also be glad to hear that public transport infrastructure is also getting a big upgrade to make your next holiday even easier:
Emily Sergeant -
4th July 2023 
