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More people are saving and giving at second-hand stores

Posted at 5:43 PM, Jun 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-29 17:43:55-04

TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — To help trim some of their spending, many are going to the hottest new place to shop-- the second-hand store. Doors re-opened at the Savers in the Town of Tonawanda on June 23.

"I just look around, sometimes you find stuff...they have good deals and so forth," said Carl Valvo, who stops by the store weekly.

Customers like Valvo have been shopping and saving non-stop for the past week.

"It's almost been like a carnival atmosphere. When I opened the door we had almost 100 people at the door and they were so excited, it's almost like we were giving $1 million away," said Rick Labrie, Store Manager.

They have plenty of deals and savings to enjoy and it's all because donations are on the rise. They're seeing about 10,000lbs of donations daily, which is more than ever before.

"Everybody had their time off, cleaning their house and making productive use of the downtime and we're reaping the benefits," said Larry Franusniak, Community Donation Manager at Savers.

The donations benefit the Epilepsy Association of WNY. Clothes that aren't sold at Savers go to churches, senior centers, children centers, animal rescues and other countries.

"Just bring your stuff in so we can help the environment and help the community," said Franusniak.

And if you donate, you can save 20% off your next purchase. They're looking for clothes, books, furniture and home goods. You can drop donations off to the drive-thru from 9am-9:30pm Mon-Sat and 10-7pm on Sundays.

And new store hours are 11am-7pm daily.