NCJW Resale Shop Moves From U City to Creve Coeur

The National Council of Jewish Women has relocated the agency's office, and its resale clothing shop from University City to Creve Coeur.

The St. Louis arm of the national organization is dedicated to social issues and protecting the rights of women, children and families. The resale clothing shop funds the organizations initiatives.

In U City, the NCJW office and shop were housed in separate locations - the office at 8350 Delcrest Drive and the store on 8612 Olive Blvd. In Creve Coeur, both are are under one roof -- in the former Hopper Furs building at 295 North Lindbergh Boulevard (near .) 

The new NCJW shop had a soft opening on Monday, October 10. Items for sale include, clothing, housewares, and eventually furniture. A more formal grand opening is scheduled for November 10-11.

NCJW-St. Louis Executive Director Ellen Alper tells Patch that the move to Creve Coeur was more than 2 years in the making. The NCJW looked at leasing the space just as the economy was faltering and decided the time wasn't right. It now owns the building, and Alper said in addition to having operations under one roof, Creve Coeur also allows for a higher-profile location in a good geographic area close to a large majority of members, which also means easier access to donations.

Alper said shopping resale makes good economic sense. She said typical items in the store price out at between $4-$6 up to $50. A designer suit that might normally retail at $1,000 could be available for $100-$150.

"People are looking to spend their money more wisely, they want to get more bang for the buck, so if they go into a resale store and they can spend 20 dollars and buy 3 items versus walking into a department store and getting one, where would you go?"

Money from sales at the NCJW resale shop goes to fund non-profit programs. Current projects are focused on those meeting the needs of women and children in need, including a micro-bank for victims of domestic violence.