Volunteers from Community Care’s Thrift Shop are working hard to prepare for reopening.

The Easter and St. Patrick’s Day items left on the shelves from when we closed in March are now being packed away.  The racks are full of winter clothes that will soon be replaced with our spring and summer line.

Thrifting in Canada has been on the rise and that sure makes the volunteers at Community Care’s Thrift Shop happy. A market research company (IBISWorld) reports that there are many success factors for used goods and clothing stores.  The most important for the used goods stores are: attractive product presentation; ability to control stock on hand; ensuring pricing policy is appropriate.

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Care’s volunteers give special attention to these and many other factors and that’s what you’ll notice when you enter the Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street in Picton.

The goal is to strike the balance between pricing goods at a rate that honours the donor and yet gives a good bargain to the buyer.  We constantly monitor the pricing of other local thrift shops to be sure we’re on target.

When you next stop in at Community Care’s Thrift Shop you’ll notice some other things are different.  For the safety of our volunteers and customers, these are some changes you will find:  the cash desk has a plastic barrier; there are arrows on the floor to direct customers through one way aisles; we will have to limit the number of customers in the store; there are new doors on the fitting room; hand sanitizer is available when you come in and other places in the store; we have new bags to pack your purchases.

We have also implemented stringent protocols for both cleaning/disinfecting and for physical distancing.  A new POS system is on order so that you no longer need to use cash at the Thrift Shop.  When it arrives we’ll be ready to open.  We think we’ll be opening at 1pm on Monday, May 25th.  That is a tentative date for now and will be confirmed on our Facebook page.

What’s the same?  Our wonderful volunteers will be there to greet you!  Sometime soon you will be able to stop in at Community Care’s Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street in Picton.   Shop, donate, volunteer! Seniors 60+ who need support are asked to call and leave a detailed message at the office.

Call 613-476-7493 for hot and frozen Meals on Wheels delivery.  There’s help with grocery ordering (by email or online).  We can pick up your medicines, groceries and other essentials and for free deliver right to your door.

Reassurance calls are available upon request.

Income Tax returns are being completed with the new CRA due date of June 1st in mind.  Active living programs include telephone chats and interesting online webinars.  There’s lots to do, lots of support.  Call 613-476-7493 today.

-Debbie MacDonald Moynes