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| Great Stuff is a second home to cancer survivor and store stylist Jeannine Herrmann |
Stepping inside the charming, sun-filled women’s boutique in north Wilmington, one is struck by a buzzy ambiance: a dozen or more eager shoppers, inspiring summer displays, and the friendly attention of staff devoted to supporting and guiding their customers.
Now in its 12th year as an upscale women’s apparel, accessory and home decor resale shop in the Talleyville Shopping Center, Great Stuff Savvy Resale & Home continues to turn gently used donations into dollars for the fight against breast cancer.
All net proceeds benefit the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.
More than that, Great Stuff is a ‘second home’ to its dedicated volunteer sales associates, who enjoy creating elements of discovery for their customers. “Shopping here is a different experience,” said one browser of tops and dresses. “The volunteers really connect with us on a personal level. And for those of us battling cancer, this is a godsend.”
The Great Stuff shopping experience facilitates an emotional connection that leads to loyalty, high customer retention and referral rates.
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| Friendly, knowledgable store volunteers like Bette Papadinis contribute to the sense of community at Great Stuff |
2022 on track to be the best year ever
This year a record number of new monthly shoppers are filling their bags with bargains, and the store is breaking its financial goals on a monthly basis. Special events and sales, strong social media presence, word of mouth, even tourists are all driving up interest in this special resale shop.
So far this year, the store has enjoyed unparalleled growth – in donations and volume of sales.
By June 30, the store was nearly $100,000 over its annual target. And 2022 is on track to be the best ever.
Since the fall of 2012, Great Stuff has donated an incredible $769,000 to the DBCC. All funds directly support community outreach, education and support programs for breast cancer survivors and their families.
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| The store's pink chandelier is also a moniker for Great Stuff's popular loyalty and discount program |
Not a day goes by that multiple donations aren’t made to the nonprofit. And the staff works hard to quickly showcase those new arrivals.
Pointing to at least two dozen pairs of sandals and pumps and boots – many new with price tags – Store Manager Trish Cullen says, “This probably looks like a hoard of shoes. But it’s not. These will all be gone by the end of the week.”
Pandemic poses tough decisions
Just two years ago the business was on the verge of shuttering – yet another retailer appearing to fall victim to the ravages of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The store was slated for closure in May of 2020 – a move the DBCC felt necessary at the time given the long-term uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
The news stunned store volunteer Jeannine Herrmann. “When we thought we were not going to have this place anymore, there were some broken hearts – customers, volunteers, and staff,” said Herrmann this week.
A 36-year cancer survivor, Herrmann has proudly donned her Great Stuff volunteer name badge for the last four years. “This is like a second home to me,” she said.
Hermann’s posture was but a single voice in a chorus of moving reactions from long-time volunteers and customers, many of whom vowed to find a way to keep the store open.
“I'm telling you that the volunteers, staff, the community literally would not let that happen,” said Shop Manager Trish Cullen. “They showed up and have not left us.”
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| Volunteers are the heart and soul of Great Stuff Savvy Resale & Home |
Staying open pays off
After hearing those passionate pleas, the DBCC decided to give the unique retailer a second chance – a few months to prove that the business could remain viable through Covid-19.
Incredibly, the store has since far exceeded expectations.
“Our contribution to the Coalition is bigger than it's ever been before,” said Cullen as she sorted new donations for the fall. “The community provides the things we sell. And the community shops. It's just amazing,” she said.
New shoppers at an all-time high
And the numbers of new shoppers each month is at an all-time high. In the last two months, 225 new shoppers have signed up for the Pink Chandelier Club – the store’s loyalty and discount program.
Great Stuff offers sustainable, ‘guilt-free shopping’ – all the net proceeds stay here in our community and support other women. Founded 31 years ago, the DBCC has offices and a range of programming in all three counties, including “Young Survivors in Action” – resources and support to the newly diagnosed – and another which helps patients with low incomes or little to no insurance find free or reduced-cost care at screening facilities.
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| Great Stuff offers high quality home furnishings and home accents at a fraction of their original price |
‘There’s no bigger reward’
Volunteers give of their time when they can. Full-time nurse Beth Ann McClure volunteers just 4 hours a week at Great Stuff. As the longest-serving store associate, she’s considered a role model for others. “I wish I could do more,” she says.
The volunteers call their group a ‘sisterhood’ – friendly, caring women ready to help a shopper or listen to their concerns.
Herrmann "had a wonderful time" shopping with her mother at Great Stuff in the early days of the store’s opening. She soon decided that she would volunteer at Great Stuff once she retired.
Herrmann says, “The fact that a lot of us are breast cancer survivors –
that can give hope to a lot of women who have just gone through breast cancer, and we're all willing to share that story. Anything that we can do to give hope to other women. There's no bigger reward.”
Mark your calendar for the 2022 Shining Light Awards
The public is invited to the DBCC’s annual gala, the Shining Light Awards, on Wednesday, August 3 at the Waterfall in Claymont. Please click here for more information about this special cocktail reception.
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| Great Stuff has a constantly refreshed inventory of popular designers and brand names such as Chanel, Tory Burch, J. McLaughlin and Anthropologie |
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