Dec. 20—New Mexico shoppers can look forward to a new thrift store coming to town from Colorado.
Colorado-based thrift chain arc Thrift Stores is expanding to New Mexico with an almost 4,400-square-foot store, set to open early next year — the thrift store partners with The Arc is an organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We’ve been really successful in Denver and our goal is to find that same success here,” said Maggie Scivicque-Spencer, the vice president for marketing at arc.
The chain started in 1968 and over the last 56 years has opened 36 stores throughout Colorado. Albuquerque will be its first foray out of the state. The new store is in the Ladera Shopping Center at 3301 Coors NW.
The plan is to hire 50 employees for the new store, and about 20% will have some sort of intellectual or developmental disability. Revenue from the thrift store will benefit the parent organization.
“We’re making sure Arc of New Mexico financially benefits from the opening of these stores,” Scivicque-Spencer said.
While there is only one brick-and-mortar location planned, Scivicque-Spencer said in 10 years she could see more locations in New Mexico.
Part of the appeal for expanding into New Mexico is the success of competitors like Savers and Goodwill, as well as how close it is to Colorado.
“The fact is that most people who shop thrift, shop both of us,” Scivicque-Spencer said.
Personal Impact
Flor Mendez started working at arc Thrift Stores 20 years ago as a call center employee, now she is the community outreach director.
“I personally am there for the mission, I have family members with Down Syndrome,” Mendez said.
Gustavo Herrera is on the marketing team for arc Thrift Stores but is another example of arc employees who worked their way up the ladder. He started as a cashier.
The thrift store does outreach programs so community groups can volunteer for a day to get hands-on work experience. Scivicque-Spencer said a lot of people who volunteer end up working for them.
“Training and job skills is something that many people with disabilities don’t get the opportunity or the chance to do,” Scivicque-Spencer said.
Global Impact
One of the key pillars of arc Thrift Stores is sustainability and making sure the gently used clothes they get from donations stay out of landfills.
When clothes get donated they go through a quality check before they are put on the floor to be resold.
“A good chunk of them have to be recycled,” Scivicque-Spencer said.
The thrift store works with brokers to resell clothes to third-world markets, keeping the clothes out of foreign landfills and instead in foreign flea markets.
They sell pounds of clothes that way for pennies on the dollar.
“That is a really big revenue stream for us,” Scivicque-Spencer said.
The store also talks to secondhand shoppers worldwide for a “Get Thrifty” podcast.
The example Scivicque-Spencer gave was a podcast guest who re-sold thrifted Lulu Lemon clothing online while she also attended college. The latest episode was with a vintage clothing re-seller.
“We’re looking for people in New Mexico to be a part of that,” Scivicque-Spencer said.