Op shops’ level 2 facing challenges
Palmerston North op shops are slowly opening their doors for donations and bargain hunters, but facing real challenges under Covid-19 alert level 2.
They are struggling to provide space for physical distancing, for quarantine of incoming goods, and with a depleted volunteer workforce as older supporters continue to be advised to stay at home. Arohanui Hospice is focused on getting its big three stores functioning first.
The Lombard St shop in Palmerston North and the shop in Levin will be open from today and Feilding from tomorrow.
Manager Sheralee Mckee said it was likely many people had spent lockdown cleaning out cupboards, but she asked people to think carefully about donations.
‘‘Look at the items and ask whether you would give it to a friend. Think of it as a gift, not as getting rid of things. And make sure it’s clean and not broken.’’
People were being asked to phone ahead and make an appointment to drop off goods so arrangements for contact tracing and physical distancing could be made. Items would then sit in quarantine for three days before being sorted, priced and displayed in the shop.
Mckee said staff and volunteers from the smaller shops were being brought in to help at the main store.
Because about 90 per cent of the volunteers were aged over 70, a large number were choosing to play it safe and stay at home, and many had retired altogether.
Mckee said the shops needed a new influx of volunteers for the future. Shop hours will be reduced during level 2 to 9.30am to 3.30pm in Palmerston North and Levin, and 10am to 3pm in Feilding, Tuesday to Friday, so shelves can be restocked without impeding customers. They will not open on Saturdays.
The Salvation Army stores are starting to open, with contactless donations and health and safety measures in place.
National Family Stores manager Gareth Marshall said shops would open once they had contact tracing, physical distancing and safe goods handling processes in place. The number of over-70 staff and volunteers unable to come in would restrict how many stores could operate.
People were asked to check first before bringing in donations.
The Methodist Social Services Goodwill stores were planning to open today. Acting manager Ian Boddy said one of their challenges was that a large part of a sorting room had been taken over for organising food parcel distribution.