On 1 July, Anglicare acquired four new shops in the Illawarra and South Coast. They are located at Dapto, Thirroul, North Wollongong and Nowra.
Previously managed by Mission Australia, the shops provide Anglicare with a number of exciting retail opportunities.
“This include expanding our collection bins to 350, moving into corporate clothing collections, and extending our presence in new employment programs and online sales.
“We have also acquired a computer refurbishment and second-hand electrical business, which we will be trialling over the next 12 months,” says Ian Moore, Anglicare Head of Retail.
“We are delighted that 27 Mission Australia staff and further 80 Mission Australia volunteers have decided to join Anglicare. These staff and volunteers bring enormous passion and experience. We are grateful for their enthusiastic response about joining the Anglicare team so that they can continue to serve their local communities.”
Anglicare envisions the North Wollongong site will be the hub for the four stores and house the computer refurbishment team, employment pathways officer and marketing trainee as well as being the recycling hub for Anglicare shops.
“We have installed new equipment on this site to recycle more unsaleable donations – allowing us to reduce waste and sell the fabrics for cleaning material.
“We want our stores to be more than just another place to find quality clothes that won’t break the budget. Many of our stores should be a hub for the community where customers can access other services or affordable food should they need it. We are also looking forward to working closely with Churches to help connect our customers to the wider community and build positive relationships.
“We will continue to keep the community updated about the progress of the new Shops. In the meantime, we welcome your best wishes for the teams involved as they work through these significant and exciting changes.”