Thrift stores get into Black Friday spirit
TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: Just one day until Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.
Analysts are predicting an upswing for major retailers.
And with the tough economy, the nation’s thrift stores are expecting the crowds too. From Philadelphia, Marketplace’s Gregory Warner filed this report.
Gregory Warner: Carlotta Starks needed a dining room table, so she came here to Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles in downtown Philadelphia. The furniture here is all donated, and all the profits go to the African People’s Education and Defense Fund.
Carlotta Starks: Because I want to make sure my money’s going somewhere where I actually care about where it’s going to?
But Starks is not just socially conscious, she’s also on a budget.
Starks: Less than a $100. Preferably.
And so she asks, as every Thanksgiving shopper must:
Starks: Is there a sale?
Ruby Gittelsohn: Yes! We’re right now doing our 10 to 40 percent “Give Back to the People” sale.
Meet Ruby Gittelsohn, Uhuru’s promotions coordinator. Part charity ball matron, part Crazy Eddie.
Gittelsohn: We want to give back to the people! So this is a really fantastic time to shop.
Uhuru is both a charity arm and a retail business. They even have a special for Black Friday.
Gittelsohn: On Friday, here’s what we’re gonna be doing: if you want to buy a gift certificate, it’s gonna be 25 percent off.
Warner: But who would give a gift of used furniture?
Gittelsohn: This isn’t used furniture like, ‘Oh god that’s a piece of crapola!’ It’s classic, it’s period pieces, it’s antiques.
And it goes to a good cause. And if someone asks you why you gave them a holiday gift that’s used? Tell them it’s 100 percent green.
In Philadelphia, I’m Gregory Warner for Marketplace.
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