DEBRA is getting ready for shops reopening, with England allowing stores to open next week and hope Scotland will follow suit soon
A large charity retailer has revealed its plans for getting its stores up and running again.
Charity shops are set to reopen in England next week and it is hoped Scotland will follow suit in the coming weeks.
Among the many charities planning to reopen stores is DEBRA, the national charity in the UK supporting people suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a potentially fatal skin condition that causes constant pain due to unstoppable internal and external blistering at the slightest touch.
The charity relies heavily on income from in-store purchases and is working incredibly hard behind the scenes to implement health and safety measures in order to keep customers, staff and volunteers safe upon store openings. DEBRA has 120 charity stores around the UK selling fashion items, small household goods and furniture.
In addition to developing new ways of working to ensure customer and staff safety, DEBRA has been working tirelessly to create an engaging re-opening strategy and build its media profile. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability issues, something which is forecast by many to become even more important post-Covid19, and charity shops are a vital cog in the closed-loop fashion machine.
The campaign includes: connecting with fashion directors and editors to welcome them to stores; engaging with fashion influencers; highlighting the environmental benefits of charity shops; and working with fashion students to get the stores looking at their best.
The charity has said customer numbers will be limited to ensure social distancing, contactless payment will be strongly encouraged, cleaning stations will be put at the entrance of stores and all clothing will be quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours after being donated.
Chantelle Milne, retail director at DEBRA said, “We are delighted to be re-opening a number of our stores (in England) from 16 June in line with government guidelines and we look forward to welcoming back our valued store staff and wonderful volunteers.
“Like many other charities and organisations, the last few months have been a challenging period for DEBRA. Alongside our stores being closed, fundraising events, which usually raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, have been postponed or cancelled but we are confident that our customers and donors will continue to support us as we exit lockdown. I think now more than ever we should embrace the joys of pre-loved shopping, hunting out one of the many amazing, stylish bargains within our stores whilst supporting the EB community and looking after the environment at the same time.”
