And finally… talking shop

Sheffield hospice St Luke’s is to launch its most ambitious project yet, throwing its efforts at a charity department store at Kilner Way Retail Park.

Last summer saw the opening of St Luke’s city centre store on The Moor, bringing the total number of St Luke’s shops throughout the city to 14, extending from Stocksbridge in the north to Crystal Peaks in the south.

The next step is an 8,500 sq ft department store at the Wadsley Bridge shopping complex.

Opening this autumn, the shop will offer a wide variety of pre-loved goods for the cost-conscious sustainable shopper, creating a go-to destination with the additional boon of three hours’ free parking.

With an extra 7,000 sq ft of warehouse space to the rear of the store, the new shop will also provide a donation hub.

Kathryn Burkitt, St Luke’s commercial director, said: “St Luke’s Kilner Way will be our largest store, meeting public demand for cost-conscious shopping and the rise for high-quality pre-loved products.”

The St Luke’s retail chain expansion taps into a growing national trend that is expected to see the second-hand market grow by 127% in the next two years.

St Luke’s supports around 1,800 patients every year, as well as their families and carers, and the retail chain raises £3m each year towards patient care costs for those suffering with terminal illness.

Burkitt concluded: “As ever, though, a key factor to the success of any St Luke’s shop comes down to the generosity of the Sheffield public; whether giving their time to volunteer or donating high quality pre-loved items that can be resold in our shops.”