St. Vincent de Paul Society opens new Launceston Vinnies Superstore

The St. Vincent de Paul Society has announced the official opening its new Launceston Vinnies Superstore at 9am on Saturday July 27, at 43 Boland Street, Launceston, next to Shiploads and near Kmart.

Proceeds from the Vinnies Superstore will be used to fund the Society’s many outreach and charitable activities in and around Launceston and across Northern Tasmania.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society’s CEO, Ms Lara Alexander, said that the Boland Street Vinnies Superstore will have over 700 square metres of floor space, full of a wide range of pre-loved clothing, homewares, furniture, books, footwear, and accessories.

“The store on Boland Street will be one of the first across Tasmania to be either relocated to bigger and better locations, or refurbished to improve the customer experience when they support the St. Vincent de Paul Society and our programmes,” Ms Alexander said.

“At any one time, the Vinnies Superstore will stock over 30,000 items of clothing alone. That is 30,000 pieces of clothing that have been sorted, modestly priced, and prepared for sale. This also represents 30,000 pieces of clothing we have diverted from landfill, which helps the environment as well as people and families in need.

“St. Vincent de Paul Society’s commitment to new or refurbished stores follows an international trend towards purchasing pre-loved clothing.

“According to a 2019 report by GlobalData, there is a world-wide boom in the re-sale apparel and second-hand goods market. The report reveals that the market is currently worth $24 billion per annum; with expected growth to $51 billion by 2024. A staggering  56 million women purchased pre-loved clothing or second-hand products in 2018, an increase of 12 million new consumers over the previous year.

“Researchers found that the re-sale customer is no longer a niche group, it’s everyone; and that 51 per cent of re-sale shoppers plan to spend even more on pre-loved and second-hand goods in the next five years. The increase is, in part, due to Millennials and Gen Z; who are 2.5 times more likely to purchase pre-loved items. Vintage is in vogue. These are some of the reasons the Society embarked upon a complete overhaul of its retail offering. The added advantage of purchasing from a Vinnies Superstore is that all profits go to a very worthy cause.

“Our fabulous team of committed volunteers have been working non-stop to bring Vinnies new superstore to life. The 30,000 items across the Boland Street Vinnies Superstore will give locals and visitors an amazing opportunities to pick up a bargain, and dress the whole family from top to toe; knowing their purchase will helps clothe, feed, and provide shelter to those in need,” Ms Alexander said.

The grand opening of the new Vinnies Superstore commences from 9am on Saturday July 27, 2019. The Rotary Club of South Launceston will be hosting a sausage sizzle and tea will be served from the Vinnies Van from 11am to 1pm. The store is located at 43 Boland Street, Launceston, next to Shiploads and near Kmart. Normal opening hours will be 9-5, Monday to Saturday, with easy access and plenty of parking.