I stumbled upon the month-old Red Cross op shop in Civic about a week ago. It is conveniently located exactly opposite the Green Shed, and offers a higher end op shopping experience.
The store is bright and the ladies busily restocking the shelves were bubbly - giving the store a modern feel, unlike any other thrift shop I have ever entered.
Set out by category, ladies blouses, ladies jeans, men's formal shirts etc, the store has a very polished, easy to follow appearance. It is relatively large and chock full of stock, including racks of seasonal specials. The change rooms also have the modern edge to them with bright red curtains and full length mirrors.
The quality of product is absolutely a cut above the rest - with prices a little higher than standard second hand stores. Most of the women's dresses were around the $20 - $35 mark while there were some absolute bargains like the blue polka dot sheer dress I picked up for $8 and a pair of jeans I was tempted by (had they been a size bigger) for $12.
Everything I looked at was clean, free of tears or fraying and the zippers all worked perfectly. This definitely justifies the higher price range.
Perhaps the greatest highlight of the Red Cross Op Shop is the loyalty program they offer. For every $10 spent you get a sticker on the back of the card and when you reach ten, you get 25% off any purchase made in the store.
This also works the other way - if you come in to donate clothing, you also earn stickers toward the discount.
This is by far the most mutually beneficial, smart program I have seen utilised in an op shop in my time and will ensure repeat customers, and better yet, repeat donations.
They accept card or cash and operate Monday to Thursday 9:30AM to 5:30PM, Friday 9:30AM to 7:00PM and weekends 10:00AM to 5:00PM.
