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With COVID-19 restricting customer access to Resale Select, store manager Sonja Carr assembled an outstanding volunteer leadership team to address the loss of revenue. The core team included Ellie Singer, Carol Wexler, Debby Vanderheyden, Susan Dankle, Stephanie LaSota and Sheila Nichols.
Because “Shelter at Home” provided many people time to clean out their closets, the group’s first initiative was to produce videos helping donors sort, select, clean and pack donations. These how-to videos are already in use and helping source quality items from our generous community.
The second and third initiatives addressed getting customers back to shopping again. COVID-19 brought new frontiers for Resale, but the team did not back down. They set up an in-person “shop by appointment” model, which shoppers embraced quickly!
The most daunting effort involved taking Resale Select shopping online. Everyone believed offering online shopping plus an in-store experience would expand Resale’s customer base and generate more revenue. The group was breaking new ground.
Cathy Guthrie, Mary Gould and Cheryl Bangasser were recruited for additional technical and creative expertise. The concept of the “Select Box” that would be unique to the online store was developed: carefully curated boxes of themed items such as “Baby Girl” or “Summer Picnic.” The day the site went live was a total thrill for all!
A huge thank you to the entire volunteer team guided by Sonja’s leadership. Sonja beams, “They can move mountains with their creativity.”
