Smithers, B.C. (July 13) – After 20 years serving the community, The Salvation Army is closing its Thrift Store located at 1065 Main St.

Due to several mitigating factors, including the financial viability of operating the store during the pandemic, the decision was made to close the store indefinitely. The doors will close to the public on July 31st with no plans to re-open in the future.

“The decision to close the store did not come easily, and we are deeply saddened,” says Lieutenant Rick Apperson. “Several factors played into our decision, but at the end of the day it boiled down to finances. We simply cannot afford to keep operating the store, while serving the community effectively.”

Some of the factors include a decline in foot traffic and changes in the local economy due to the pandemic, which resulted in significant drops in revenue. In order to continue having a presence in the community in other ways, such as the food bank, drop-in centre, soup kitchen, Feeding the Lamb program, and spiritual care it was a necessary business decision.

“Right now, our focus is going to be on our people,” says Apperson. “We need to ensure they are taken care of, because they’ve served this community diligently for years. With the leadership of our Community Supervisor, Kelly Spurway, we will also continue to focus on serving those in the community who need our help.”

The store will be offering significant discounts leading up to the closing, including 50 percent of all clothing the week of July 19thand 50 percent of everything in the store the week of July 26th.

“I would like to thank the community for years of dedicated patronage and support. We can only do the work we do, because of their ongoing support. And while this is a sad occasion, we can look to the future with optimism because we are going to continue to operate and serve this great community, and are making plans to expand programs,” says Apperson.