Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Robinson (New 2 You).
Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2003, a group of leaders from Grand Rapids Christian Schools brainstormed the idea of creating a thrift store to raise money for tuition assistance for families. In the months following, these pioneers bought a building, recruited volunteers, collected donations, and prepared New 2 You to be a fully-functioning store. In summer 2004, New 2 You opened its doors at 2929 29th Street in Kentwood.
Since then, New 2 You has undergone numerous expansions, built up its systems, and recruited dozens more volunteers. We now are open 10:00 am–7:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, have over 170 volunteers, and are able to give a $600 tuition grant per student to families of Grand Rapids Christian Schools.
We are also a beloved store in the community. We sell a variety of products from clothes to housewares to toys to crafts, all at affordable prices. We have even been voted “Best in the West” thrift store in Revue’s magazine for numerous years in a row.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been struggles for New 2 You, especially navigating the changing thrift industry. Since we’ve opened, more thrift stores have popped up nearby, so we’ve had to be extra conscientious that we’re pricing similarly to our neighbors. Having more thrift neighbors isn’t like typical competition, though. For us, it’s actually a good thing. Many thrifters enjoy stopping at multiple thrift stores that are close by. As long as we receive enough donations—which we do and are very blessed by—we don’t need to worry about these thrift store neighbors.
Another significant struggle was COVID. For months, we closed our doors and then slowly reopened by allowing a certain number of customers in the store at a time and constantly disinfecting common areas. We had to change our donation drop-off system, donation processing systems, and checkout process, which required much creativity from management and volunteers.
Even in our day-to-day operations pre- and post-COVID, we’ve had to be innovative as we deal with new customer challenges, volunteer recruitment and growing pains as we’ve changed and innovated over time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
New 2 You is West Michigan’s upscale resale store with quality clothing and merchandise at affordable prices. Whether you’re a bargain-hunter, a parent of growing kids, a student on a budget, or just someone who likes the thrill of the hunt to find that one of a kind item, you’ll find a constantly changing lineup of great finds. New 2 You proudly supports Grand Rapids Christian Schools. Since our founding in 2004, we have raised millions of dollars to reduce tuition costs and help keep high-quality Christian education affordable for all.
We are a non-profit, volunteer-powered organization, and all of our inventory—with the exception of a few new furniture pieces—are given to us by generous donors.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Unlike the retail industry as a whole, the thrift industry incorporates very little technology into operations. The most technology thrift stores typically use are a POS system at the cash register and a computer in the office. However, as our customers are more and more frequently using technology to price-check items online and potentially resell products, we are feeling more pressure to do our research before pricing. Over the next 5–10 years, technology will likely play a much bigger role in how we operate.
Another significant change we’ve seen has been with our donations. While our donation quantity has increased, the quality hasn’t necessarily, especially with clothing. We are seeing more and more fast fashion brands appear and make up a larger proportion of our total donations. A lot of these clothes are worn out before we get to them because of the poor quality.
In addition, we definitely see re-purposed upcycled goods – especially one of a kind artisan goods – being a part of the resale / thrift landscape. From hand-crafted clothing and housewares items made from pre-owned and thrifted materials to re-imagined home furnishings as being a part of our offerings at New 2 You. Not only is it part of a larger sustainability trend, but these types of one of a kind items are desirable as our community considers how to best reclaim items that might otherwise end up being discarded or destroyed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://new2youshop.org/
- Instagram: new2you_grandrapids
- Facebook: New 2 You Grand Rapids
