Opportunity shop

Press, 12 July 1983, Page 26

Opportunity shop

The Bazaar, in Stanmore Road, is the Presbyterian Social Service Associations’s secondhand clothing shop. Its purpose is to supply clean, good quality clothing to those people in the city who cannot afford new clothes.

Most items in the shop sell for between 50 cents and $1 and demand for the clothing is understandably high. Staff at the Bazaar have noticed a significant increase in customers this year as more and more people find budgets stretched to their limits. Turnover at the shop in a busy week can be as much as $9OO and at such low prices this represents an enormous number of garments.

Winter is the busiest time

for the Bazaar, with customers of all ages looking for warm clothing, particularly woollens that are costly to buy new. Stock for the shop is given mostly through parishes, and the staff consists of volunteers, with the exception of the manageress, Mrs Shona Elliott. More than 100 helpers give up their time to staff the shop and sort the clothes that come in from all over Canterbury, Westland, Marlborough and Nelson. The Bazaar deals only with good quality clothes; those in poor condition are sold as rags. Most of the garments have been laundered or cleaned before being given but if necessary the staff take them home to be washed or mended. As well as providing a

practical service, the shop acts as a meeting place for people in the community and many, particularly the elderly, drop in for a chat and some friendly company. A warm welcome is extended to eveyone, regardless of whether they make a purchase. Space is at a premium in the Stanmore Road premises and the organisers are keen to find a bigger building, or premises in which to open a second branch. They feel, however, that the Linwood area is an important district to service and hope eventually to find a building close to the existing shop. The Bazaar is open for business every week day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and Friday evenings, at 81 Stanmore Road.