Return to shopping beyond the essentials
Local thrift shops have started reopening their doors and collecting donations again
Add ‘bargain hunting’ to the list of shopping options in the restarting economy, as thrift stores have gradually been opening their doors.
As with most businesses, the stores closed up in midMarch, especially after the sector wasn’t deemed an essential service.
Within the last two weeks, however, local thrift stores slowly began opening their operations again, starting off by accepting donations of clothing and other items from the public. More recently, the stores have resumed a semi-normal shopping experience, allowing customers back inside to purchase their wares.
Sheryl Bruggeling, communications and events senior planner with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), stresses the importance of thrift shops to the organization and the community.
“The thrift shop is an important part of the community in a couple of different ways,” said Bruggeling. “It’s important for the fact that it supports MCC. Right now, we’re all feeling vulnerable, [but] the most vulnerable among us need our support even more. But also, that it’s a part of the community and provides an inexpensive and alternative for good quality used goods.”
In Elmira, the Woolwich Community Services (WCS) thrift store on Memorial Avenue and the MCC-run ‘Thrift and Gift’ on Church Street are on the list of recently reopened stores, starting up again May 19 and May 26 respectively. Representatives of both stores are happy they can reopen, but stress that things will be a little different for those who choose to shop.
“We’ve limited the number of shoppers to seven in the stores and we’re asking people to be one person per aisle… or store section,” said Kelly Christie, executive director of WCS. “We do have the plexiglass shields up at the counter for the staff and customer safety.”
Christie says other changes include customers disinfecting their hands upon entering the store, bringing their own bags, and maintaining a strict cleaning routine after each customer is finished with their purchase. During this time, Christie asks people coming to the stores to be patient as they have not called back volunteers saying they are working with a “very, very skeletal staff.”
The MCC store will be adhering to similar rules which will include closing washrooms and fitting rooms to customers during this time. Strict social distancing measures will also be in place and customers are asked to not touch items unless they plan on purchasing them.
Bruggeling says up to 25 customers will be welcome inside to shop at any time, but there will be a greeter at the door counting the number of people in store and they will reserve the right to ask customers to wait if necessary.
She says there will be a time on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. specifically for vulnerable people to come in and shop. There will be an hour break from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. where cleaning of the store will take place and regular shopping hours will resume until 5 p.m.
When the stores closed, both organizations lost a good amount of revenue which would have been generated had they remained in operation.
ability? The Farm Credit Canada survey showed that 70 per cent of the farmers who had such plans felt they were effective in preventing injuries.
Farmers don’t want any more rules or legislation telling them what to do on their own farms. They have enough of that now. Farm safety needs to be something they engage in willingly.
But it’s definitely a necessity. As CASA says, it only takes one moment of distraction, fatigue or complacency to change a person’s life forever.
“Producers have to remember that the most valuable asset on any farm are the people who do the work,” says Hacault. “By taking care of ourselves and those around us, we are contributing to our long-term success in both business and life.”
And sustainability.