Get a bargain, help a vet. New AMVETS thrift store to open Monday in Erie's Liberty Center
Erie-area thrift store fans are about to have another option.
The AMVETS National Service Foundation, which helps veterans secure benefits and provides scholarships to veterans and their families, will open a new store next week in the Liberty Center.
On Thursday, employees were stocking shelves, tidying displays and vacuuming carpets as they prepared to open the 28,000 square-foot space previously occupied by Gordmans and Peebles.
Keith Haley, director of thrift store operations for the nonprofit, said the store will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for what he's calling a soft opening. Hours are expected to expand later in the month to a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. schedule as the store continues to hire and train a full complement of about 30 employees.
Plans for the new store were first announced in October.
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Getting ready for shoppers
Staff members have been working since January to stock clothes racks and shelves with thousands of clothing items, books, music — including a vintage Carpenters album — camping equipment, holiday decorations, kitchen utensils, furniture and some still-in-the-damaged-box freezers and air conditioners purchased from Walmart.
Selling a few new items, purchased at a deep discount, is something new for AMVETS, which operates about 50 other thrift stores.
"We wanted to spice it up in Erie with a mixture of used and a few new items," Haley said.
The front doors were locked as Haley walked the Erie Times-News through the building, located at the northern end of the shopping plaza on Liberty Street. But there seemed to be plenty of interest from prospective customers, a few of whom knocked on the glass or tested the front door Thursday afternoon.
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Keeping inventory fresh
In a community that loves a bargain, Sherry Bauer, leasing agent for the plaza, is convinced that the AMVETS store is a good fit.
"Not only do they bring something to the community that Erie likes, but 100% of their proceeds are invested in veterans," she said. "I think we all really care about the veterans and what they do for the country."
Haley hopes customers will like what they see, starting with the prices.
"We are a thrift store," he said. "We don't price things like it's an antique store."
Haley said the store maintains a second philosophy. Management doesn't want customers to see the same goods each time they return.
The goal, he said, "is to turn things over every six weeks" by lowing prices when an item isn't sold after three weeks and again after six weeks. He expects between 5,000 and 6,000 new items to be stocked each day.
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"We want to keep it interesting," he said. "We are constantly putting new things out. You don't go to a garage sale every day because you already know what they have."
After a couple months of construction and weeks of getting the store ready, Haley said he's excited to open Pennsylvania's first AMVETS store.
"It feels fantastic to be able to share this with everyone," he said. "I suspect Monday morning there will be a lot of people here to shop."
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: AMVETS first PA thrift store to open doors in Erie on Monday.
