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Habitat for Humanity opens online Restore in Corner Brook

Six-month project will determine if area could support a more permanent presence

DIANE CROCKER WEST COAST REPORTER diane.crocker @thewesternstar.com @Ws_dianecrocker www.shoprestorenl.com

CORNER BROOK — Habitat for Humanity has launched a six-month pilot project to bring its Restore to the west coast.

But instead of a storefront location this west coast store is being operated online.

Jon Rossiter, manager of Habitat for Humanity Newfoundland and Labrador’s Restore in St. John’s, is overseeing the west coast project.

“We’ve always wanted to get into another market,” Rossiter recently told Saltwire Network.

With Corner Brook being the second-densest populated area of the province, Rossiter said it made sense to target the area for expansion, but in a new way.

“There’s always been doubt whether an e-commerce platform would work in the thrift industry,” said Rossiter, who wondered if people would buy things without seeing them.

When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shutdown of the St. John’s Restore, Rossiter said, they came up with an online store, and when they put items online, they had no trouble selling them.

“We got the proof we needed that it would work,” he said.

“Once we returned to instore shopping, we didn’t use that anymore, but now with the platform built, it created an avenue where we could try to do that kind of thing somewhere else.

“It’s kind of like we saw an opportunity to go into another market without a lot of risk,” he said.

Habitat for Humanity secured some funding from the Multi-materials Stewardship Board and the Conservation Corps, which meant it could try out the online store in Corner Brook without a lot of investment.

The project will give Habitat for Humanity data to determine if a longer-term presence can be supported in the region, including an actual storefront.

Rossiter said they’ve started off small and have a storage unit that will serve as a dropoff and pickup location. It will be overseen by local program co-ordinator Jonah Rowsell, and dropoff and pickup will be by appointment. Items that are donated will be prepared for sale, photographed and put online, and the store is already open for business.

Unlike in St. John’s, he said, Habitat for Humanity cannot offer free pickup of donations.

“Which is kind of our bread and butter, really, when it comes to getting donations. So, right now we’re kind of relying on the community to help us get this off the ground and make the dropoffs happen.”

Habitat for Humanity Newfoundland and Labrador executive director Sandra Whiffen said they accept things like home décor, building supplies, furniture and appliances.

Being able to donate items appeals to individuals who may be changing their décor, and to businesses that may have extra old stock or things that are slightly damaged that they don’t want to ship back.

This, Whiffen said, diverts things that can be used or reused from the landfill.

It’s also good for shoppers. “With people now in challenging times it’s a great thing to recycle our furniture. People are finding it financially hard,” she said.

By thrift shopping they can save money, she added.

The money raised through the project will go toward Habitat for Humanity’s construction projects in the province.

“Affordable housing has been really impacted by the pandemic, and coming out of the pandemic, prices have gone up. It’s really affected everyone,” said Whiffen.

The organization last did a construction project in Corner Brook in 2017, and Whiffen said they are always looking for donated land.

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2022-07-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

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