The St Teresa’s Hospice Superstore, located on McMullen Road in Darlington, recently closed for three days to complete an ambitious refurbishment intended to enhance the shopping experience and support its fundraising mission.
The overhaul has more than doubled the sales floor space by converting a former warehouse area at the rear of the store into a dedicated showroom for furniture and large items.
Retail manager Yvonne MacDonald said: “Our charity shops and retail enterprise are vital to the hospice’s fundraising efforts, and we’re so excited about the impact this redevelopment will have.
“Within hours of reopening, we smashed not just one day’s sales target, but the next day’s as well! It’s an incredibly encouraging start, and we’re so grateful to our amazing customers.”
Since the charity superstore was opened in May 2017, May 2017, it has been instrumental in helping the hospice deliver on its mission, raising more than £669,113.
Shoppers Jez and Maya Warner, frequent supporters of the shop, were among the first through the doors after the reopening. Jez said: “This is the first time we’ve visited the shop since it reopened, and we’re amazed. There’s just a huge amount of choice, and at bargain prices. It’s fantastic.”
Maya added: “At first, we thought the furniture section was gone, but then we discovered it had been moved to the new space – it’s like an Aladdin’s cave!”
Yvonne added: “I would also like to say a big thank you to all our amazing volunteers – including a special team from Cummins in Darlington – who did such a fantastic job helping us transform the store, and our amazing staff team who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life.
“I’m not absolutely certain, but I think we might now be the largest charity shop in Darlington. Maybe we’re the town’s first charity megastore?”
