First Savers Thrift Store in Pennsylvania to Open During Earth Month

Savers, a thrift store chain with more than 330 locations across North America, will celebrate the opening of a new store in Willow Grove on Thursday, April 7. The store will be the first Savers location in the state of Pennsylvania and will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the grand opening. The ceremony is open to the public and will be attended by Savers management, representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters and Upper Moreland Town Manager David Dodies.

Savers has pioneered a thrift store experience that defies typical expectations for secondhand shopping. Shoppers will not find cluttered piles and broken equipment on the shelves at Savers. Instead, they will find the new store to be spacious, well-lit and easy to navigate. With more than 100,000 items on its sales floor at any given time, and carrying everything from clothing and accessories, to housewares and electronics, Savers is no ordinary thrift store. Customers will find a fresh stock of value-priced goods, with up to 10,000 new items placed on the floor each day.

“We’ve been working incredibly hard to prepare the store for opening day and can’t wait to share all we have to offer with the Willow Grove community,” said Vanessa Ross, Savers store manager. “We look forward to providing our customers with unbelievable deals, but we also take great pride in doing our part to protect the environment through our sustainable practices.”

Savers is on a mission to create a better world through reuse by inspiring local communities to give their reusable items a second life. Through its unique business model and commitment to sustainability, Savers has become one of the largest recyclers of used goods in the world, keeping more than 650 million pounds of reusable items from landfills each year.

The new Willow Grove store has a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters through a program named Clothes for Kids’ Sake. When members of the community donate their goods to Clothes for Kids’ Sake at Savers’ on-site Community Donation Center, which is now open, Savers pays Clothes for Kids’ Sake for those items whether or not they make it to the sales floor. Through this partnership, Clothes for Kids’ Sake receives a steady source of income it distributes to local youth mentoring agencies like Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region. In 2015, Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region served over 3,500 youth in Southeastern PA and Southern NJ. Clothes for Kids’ Sake helps the agency fund community and school-based programs that provide children facing adversity with compassionate and caring adult mentors.

“The funding we receive though our partnership with Savers allows us to support Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region and all the incredible youth work they do in the Upper Moreland area,” said Lori Konya, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Clothes for Kids’ Sake. “Not everybody is able to donate their time or money, but by visiting the store’s Community Donation Center or scheduling a home pick up with our team, the simple act of donating reusable goods becomes an easy way to support our community.”

In celebration of opening its doors to the Willow Grove community, Savers will host special events that are open to the public during the grand opening week:

Preview Event (Tuesday, April 5, 6-9 p.m.): A special “sneak peek” event for eager thrifters looking to shop the store early. Those interested in attending the event can sign up for a Savers Club Card at the store or online at www.savers.com.

Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (Thursday, April 7, 8:45a.m.): Before the store opens, shoppers are encouraged to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony. Store manager Vanessa Ross, Savers team members, representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters and Town Manager David Dodies will all give welcoming remarks before the ribbon is cut!

Community Parking Lot Party (Saturday, April 9, 12-5 p.m.): Savers invites the entire community to celebrate the opening of the new store with a party in Savers’ parking lot. The event is free and will feature a taco food truck with complimentary food and drinks, a bounce house for kids, a DIY craft station, and 93.3 WMMR will be broadcasting live from the event.

Savers Surprise Prize Packages (Thursday, April 7 – Sunday, April 10): Every lucky 100th shopper to make a purchase during the store’s opening weekend will receive a special prize pack from Savers including fun gifts and Savers swag.

The Willow Grove store and Community Donation Center, located at 300 York Road, will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, customers may contact the store directly at (215) 659-1726 or visit www.savers.com.

About Savers

Founded in 1954, Savers is a for-profit privately held global thrift retailer offering clothing and accessories for men, women and children and household goods under the Savers, Value Village, Village des Valeurs and Unique Thrift Store brands. Through its unique business model of purchasing, reselling and recycling secondhand merchandise, the Savers family of thrift stores benefits more than 120 nonprofit organizations, gives local consumers a smart way to shop, and saves more than 650 million pounds of quality used goods from landfills each year. Savers pays its nonprofit partners for donated goods, turning otherwise unused items into sustainable funding that supports their vital community programs and services. Savers operates more than 330 locations and has 22,000 employees in the United States, Canada and Australia. For more information, please visit www.savers.com.

TVI, Inc. d/b/a Savers is a for profit professional solicitor accepting donations of secondhand clothing and household goods on behalf of Clothes for Kids’ Sake, Inc., whose mission is to provide programs for the aid and assistance of children.