Seattle Children’s Hospital Thrift store is doing just fine these days, thank you very much.
That’s what store manager Suzanne Dunnell finds herself explaining multiple times each day, to confused shoppers who keep asking if she is closing the downtown Kent store.
“We’re doing just fabulous, but all these people are coming in and saying, ‘why are you closing?’” Dunnell said last week.
The reason? People are confusing the Children’s Hospital shop with the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, a downtown thrift store in the process of closing its doors this past week, at its location at 225 First Ave.
“They are a half a block south of us,” Dunnell said.
In spite of a recession-driven economy, Dunnell said her shop has managed to weather the storm. That’s due mostly to a steady supply of repeat customers who have made the shop a destination for the past 15 years it’s operated in Kent.
“Ours is pretty stable,” Dunnell said of the store, which has been operating from its storefront at 215 W. Meeker. “We’re pretty much a destination store – there’s not a lot of walk-by traffic on Meeker Street anymore. We have very loyal customers.”
Meanwhile, just one street away, Bill LaVergne, director for the Discovery Shops for Washington and Oregon, on Tuesday was wrapping up the thrift store’s final day of business.
“This is our last day,” said LaVergne. “We’re just waiting for a company to come and pick up some light fixtures.”
LaVergne expressed disappointment over the shop’s demise – “basically this end of town died when the city opened their new shopping center (Kent Station) up the street” – but noted it won’t be the end of the Discovery Shop era for the Puget Sound region.
“A lot of volunteers are going over to our West Seattle store, and other locations,” LaVergne said, explaining there are 10 Discovery Shops in the Washington-Oregon area.
LaVergne said the Discovery Shop, which gave its proceeds to cancer research and related programs, had a presence in Kent for nearly 20 years.
But diminishing foot traffic, limited promotional funds, and finally a recession, combined to make it unworkable to keep the doors open.
“What it was costing us to operate the shop, and putting the money in for cancer research, was pretty negative,” LaVergne said. “From a business standpoint, it was not feasible to stay open any longer.”
Meanwhile, Dunnell said she’s expecting to see Seattle Children’s Hospital Thrift Store continue on a positive course.
She wants to continue giving her regular customers a healthy assortment of items.
“We have really nice clothing, furniture, glassware,” she said. “Our furniture is almost new. A couple vendors donate to me regularly.”
The Kent store is one of six Seattle Children’s Hospital Thrift Stores. Bainbridge Island, Port Townsend, Olympia, Shoreline and Redmond also have shops. Proceeds from their sales go toward funding uncompensated care at the Seattle-based hospital for children.
Seattle Children’s Hospital Thrift Store
HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
LOCATION: 215 W Meeker St., Kent
CALL: 253-850-8216
WEB: www.seattlechildrens.org/ways-to-help/shopping/locations
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