Red Cross op-shop moves house

Red Cross Shop Napier Super Store

It may have been a case of 'in with the old and in with the new' when the Napier Red Cross Shop moved from Dalton St to its new premises on Carlyle St.

After 10 years, it was time for a change, said regional retail manager Terry Perriman.

"We needed a larger shop where we would be able to cater to all the needs of our customers, offering furniture and a wider selection of homewares, books and clothing in an easy-to-shop environment with free parking."

She says the new store has a welcoming, clean, uncluttered layout, which is spacious and visually appealing.

"Products are grouped to make it easy to find things. We have a large area for furniture and a large selection of homewares at the front of the shop. Clothing for ladies, men and children, including shoes, runs through the middle, and we have a great book area for avid readers."

Terry says the store operates by its principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

"We also hold to our mission, to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilising the power of humanity and enhancing community resilience, close to our hearts."

The Carlyle St shop is bigger and better than the previous premises and has more storage space for bulkier items like furniture. There is also a free collection service for some products, and it is now open seven days a week. The grand opening will hopefully be next month, and Terry says the new store will be a good fit with the other op-shops in the same area.

"It is great to be in this area, and being near other charity shops helps us all, as our customers like to visit them all."

Terry says funds raised from the store will go to wherever the need is greatest at the time.

"For example, we helped support people in Napier when they found themselves displaced from their homes due to flooding a little while ago, and at the moment we have been supporting the community north of Christchurch impacted [by] the fires. We also support international situations, such as the people of Ukraine with our special appeal, and in Tonga following the tsunami."

Almost all of the volunteers who worked in the Dalton St store have moved with the shop.

"We are delighted that almost all our volunteers came with us. We highly rely on our amazing volunteers and hope that more will join our dedicated team. You will be supporting a great cause, gain skills in retail/customer service, help with sustainability in your community, make wonderful friendships with other caring people, and, mostly, have some fun."

Terry says all charity shops offer a lot of value to the community and are becoming very popular.

"It really is a circle of good, helping to recycle goods that may have gone to landfill, supporting an amazing charity, providing goods at more affordable prices, giving people a safe place to gain skills and confidence in the workplace, and more."

From July 2021 to June 2022, New Zealand Red Cross:

• Responded to 10 emergencies in Aotearoa New Zealand, through the support of 98 Disaster Welfare and Support team members. More than 2000 hours were logged by Disaster Welfare and Support Team members responding to these emergencies.

● Welcomed 611 new arrivals from 20 countries, providing settlement support to new Kiwis in 10 locations.

● Set up 176 homes for Afghan families after their arrival from Afghanistan.

● Supported 94 clients through the Refugee Trauma Recovery service, and helped 330 new Kiwis find work or work experience through the Pathways to Employment programme.

● Welcomed people into 56 Red Cross shops nationwide – 31 Red Cross shops, 13 Red Cross Super Stores and 12 Red Cross branch-led shops.

● Provided direct support on 21 international assignments, covering 44 countries.

● Delivered 668,000 Meals on Wheels across New Zealand.

● The member and volunteer network contributed a collective 95,000 hours serving communities across the country.

● Trained more than 55,000 Kiwis in first aid, while managing 2800 AEDs throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

■ Red Cross Shop, 43 Carlyle St, Napier, open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5pm; and Sunday, 10am-3pm.