You either love them or hate them but there’s one thing everyone will admit too: they’ve shopped in an op-shop at least once.
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No matter your opinion, op shops serve their respective communities at a number of different levels.
For some they are the source of good quality, cheap clothing, household items and everything in between, to others they are a lifeline to the wider world. And for the many volunteers who help run them, they can also be a way of giving back to a community.
National Op Shop week starts on Monday and many of our local stores will be offering a variety of sale days.
The Salvation Army Family Stores at Wauchope and Port Macquarie are no different and manager Hazel Barrett has come up with an ingenious way of promoting all that is good about op shopping.
“We have put together a typical ladies wardrobe that includes everything from hats, through to a selection of blouses, tops and jackets, to shoes and handbags and purses,” she said.
“It is enough clothing to wear for a week … and we have set the price at under $100.
“There’s also a chance that we will have this on special during National Op Shop Week for half price too.”
Mrs Barrett is responsible for the operations at Wauchope and Port Macquarie stores and says both provide store quality goods and competitive pricing.
All clothing is checked prior to reaching the shop floor and anything that falls short of their standards is bundled up and sent to Africa. Lesser standard goods are thrown out.
Money raised at the two stores is goes toward funding Salvation Army work in the Port Macquarie-Hastings region.
Salvos stores Australia-wide have launched their new Fashion with a Conscience campaign to coincide with National Op Shop Week.
Fashion with a Conscience encourages customers to reuse, recycle and reinvent fashion by shopping at their local Salvos store.
Not only do Salvos stores divert 15,000 tonnes of clothing and household items per year from landfill, but if every Australian recycled one T-shirt or a pair of jeans each year, we would recover billions of litres of water.
Salvos Stores have been helping struggling families and individuals for 130 years, and have raised millions of dollars to support The Salvation Army. Pre-loved and recycled furniture, clothing and goods are donated to the stores and then sold at reasonable and fair prices.
The Salvation Army Family Store in Port Macquarie operates from 8.30am until 4pm, Monday to Friday and Wauchope operates from 9am until 2pm, Monday to Friday.
