A new store is hoping to give gently used items a second life.
Take 2 is the latest addition to the thrift store scene in Cold Lake.
Owned by Michelle Quiban, the freshly opened storefront, located at 5606 54 St., donates part of their proceeds to the Lakeland Humane Society (LHS).
“I know they’ve been fundraising for a long time for their great need for a new building… There are a lot of animal lovers out there, myself included,” Quiban said about why they chose the animal shelter.
The store officially opened June 15, and so far has received great feedback from the public, Quiban noted.
“It’s amazing. We’re getting a phenomenal response from people. They’re so happy to see us.”
With over a decade of previous experience in the thrift store world, Quiban knows a thing or two about the business.
She said, “Volunteering in the industry for so many years, I was introduced to it and I got addicted to thrift shopping. When I travel and go to different communities, we seek out thrift stores.”
The thrifter was hoping to fill a need in the community while giving back to a local charity.
Quiban and Sue Stacey, who helped with the initiative, started planning and filling out the paperwork in February.
Once they had a location and keys in-hand, it took about three weeks to set-up shop.
Brainstorming a name was easy. Because the pair had already worked together at a previous thrift store, they figured this shop was their Take 2.
Quiban added, it also reflects the second chance their items are getting.
“It’s all donations… We like them to be gently used, we want them to be good, sellable items. We can take all sorts of things, including furniture, we have space here for larger items, which is nice,” detailed Quiban. “Some of the things we can’t take are mattresses, car seats, helmets, and cribs with the drop-down sides.”
She noted, there are so many benefits to purchasing previously loved items.
“We’ve become such a throw away society nowadays that products you find in thrift stores aren’t like back in the day when it would be worn out and old. Now, it’s hardly used. We get a huge amount of items that are brand new with the tags… because we’re such a society that buys, buys, and buys. We buy more than what we need and it ends up in thrift stores.”
She continued, “People seek out purchasing from thrift stores, and it saves the landfills, it doesn’t need to go to the landfill. It’s actually sad when we do go to the dump and we see what people just throw away instead of donating to thrift stores. We’re happy to take donations. If it’s still usable, it shouldn’t be going to the landfill.”
The store accepts donations during their open hours Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They’re hoping to get a drop box in the near future, and are considering extending their hours into the evening one day of the week.
“We’re happy to accept volunteers. We have a number of people right now that have come forward, but we’re always open to people coming and giving us a hand,” Quiban expressed.
Hearing shoppers walk through their doors noting Take 2’s variety, open concept, and organization confirms for Quiban she made the right decision opening the store, giving not only the items on her shelves a second chance, but also herself.
The store will be hosting a grand opening all day June 29.
