During the level 4 lockdown like all other retail stores, our charity shops had to close. Fortunately, our online op shop had been up and running long enough for us to jump on this opportunity.
The day before level 4 started, our Retail Manager Fiona Dodds raided our Shop on Carroll for as many treasures as possible, took them home and started photographing items from her lounge. Fiona worked remotely with Hannah Day (Online Retail Coordinator) to keep the online shop going, and sales boomed! Customers loved still being able to browse for preloved treasures from home and we had record online sales. Orders came in from Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch plus many other small towns, with items couriered away when we moved into Level 3. We also experienced a lot of support from our local Otago customers, who ordered items and then picked them up from the shop when the restrictions eased.
Having an online shop during the lockdown was a great way to keep the Shop on Carroll buzz alive, and give people an opportunity to continue to support our shop even from home. Shop on Carroll and Opshop on St Andrew are now well and truly up and running, and our online shop is still riding the wave of momentum after lockdown. So, if you can’t make it into Dunedin for a browse, or feel like some op shopping from home, visit www.shopon.org.nz to see what we have on offer. We add items weekly so there’s always a variety of things to look at. Our opshop warehouse is collecting donations again, so if you are having a clear out, you can drop them off to 10 Carroll St, Dunedin.
Our other retail site, YouthGrow Garden Centre, kept themselves busy during Alert Level 3 with selling plants, herbs and bulbs through their Facebook page and phone orders. They received a great response from supporters, and have since reopened the centre at 146 Norwood St, Dunedin. In mid- May, YouthGrow saw the return of their young people, who are the heart of the YouthGrow programme. Ben McKenzie, (YouthGrow team leader) was delighted to have them return:
“It has been great to have the extra life return to the site, and although some things are a little different, our young people have come back wanting to reconnect with their friends and youth workers and continue on with their personal goals in our youth development programme. Our customers’ continued support of the garden centre enables those young people to engage in new learning and experiences to prepare them for the uncertain future.”
You can follow YouthGrow on Facebook to hear updates from them and see their YouthGrow ‘Tip of Week’ which is always very insightful and helpful for those with a green thumb. https://www.facebook.com/YouthGrow/
Shop at our retail stores:
Shop on Carroll:
10 Carroll St, Dunedin
Open 10am-5pm weekdays and 10am-4pm Saturdays
Shop online: www.shopon.org.nz
Opshop on St Andrew
59 St Andrew St, Dunedin
Open 10am-5pm weekdays and 10.30am-4pm Saturdays
YouthGrow Garden Centre
146 Norwood St, North East Valley, Dunedin
Open 7 Days, 10am-4.30pm