By Joanie Veitch - The?Weekly News
The aisles at the downtown Value Village are beginning to look bare as more and more inventory is hauled over to the new Dartmouth Gate location.
The popular thrift store is closing its doors on Canal Street to open a bigger outlet at the former Moirs chocolate factory site on April 30.
A spokesperson for the Value Village store network, which represents more than 200 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, said the new Dartmouth Gate site, located at the intersection of the Circumferential Highway and Pleasant Street, offers a lot more space, easier access and better parking.
"We have finally found a building that is both ideally located and big enough to grow the business to meet the customer demand," said Kaitlin Goodall.
Despite a grim recession, sales across the Value Village network are up by about five per cent over the past few years. Goodall said she expects that trend will continue as the economy forces people to make drastic budget changes. "More people than ever are turning to thrift stores to maintain their wardrobe at bargain prices and to stretch their dollar. For these savvy shoppers, choosing thrift does not mean sacrificing quality; it means stretching a tight budget further while maintaining style."
Eight new staff have been hired to help staff the new outlet, in addition to the 47 employees who already work at the Dartmouth store. More staff may be hired once the store officially opens, Goodall added.
Developer Southwest Properties Ltd. began working on the Dartmouth Gate site in March 2008, renovating the former "Pot of Gold" manufacturing facility to create more than 170,000 square feet of floor space. Value Village will take up 30,000 square feet of that space.
Along with Value Village, Dartmouth Gate will also house the Nova Scotia Community College's Aviation Institute, along with its 180 students. Gordon Laing, president and chief operating officer with Southwest, said "discussions are ongoing" with other retailers for the remaining space.
Two restaurant pads are also in future plans for the site, he added.
Converting the former chocolate factory into prime retail and commercial space meant extensive renovations, but the potential for the site made it a prime opportunity for Southwest, Laing said.
"Like the Moosehead brewery site (which Southwest converted into Windmill Crossing, home to Office Interiors Group), we see opportunities where others maybe don't," Laing said.
And the bonus? There's still a slight whiff of chocolate in the place.
joanie.veitch@gmail.com
