The Salvation Army thrift store in Renton is closing along with three other stores near Seattle.
However, the Salvation Army plans to re-brand and re-open another store in Renton in the near future. The organization is looking for bigger locations – space between 18,000 and 25,000 square feet – for new stores.
The Renton thrift store, 422 S. Third St., had seen a pretty dramatic drop in sales, said David Puszczewicz, retail director for the Salvation Army.
“It’s not that they’re not doing well; it’s just that we know we can do better,” he said.
The Salvation Army cited the decline in the local economy, the changing retail landscape and a drop in business at the stores as reasons for the closures.
The Renton store has been in the community for 30 years.
The organization needs a space that can accept donations and offer a better shopping experience on par with customer service similar to Nordstrom or Macy’s but with thrift-store prices, Puszczewicz said.
Seven people are affected by the closure in Renton on Sept. 10. Stores in Burien and Puyallup will also close that day. The Sumner store closes on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The closures will affect 22 employees in all. They can apply for other positions in the Seattle metro area, for national opportunities or will be helped with final salary and benefits, according to a press release.
One man at the Renton store is transitioning into another area of the Salvation Army, while the manager of the Renton store will move to the Seattle location.
The thrift stores provide the operating funds for the organization’s Adult Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program. Last year the program had 1,200 men and women who participated. Puszczewicz said the program has a success rate among the highest in the country.
The national success rate is under 10 percent for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and the Salvation Army’s success rate is in the high 20 percent range, he said.
Its participants range from workers with seven-figure incomes to the homeless. The program is free.
“Making the decision to close these stores was a difficult one,” said Major Ralph Hood of the Salvation Army in a release. “We’ve been part of these communities for decades. However, the success of our rehabilitation program depends on the success of the stores, and we simply cannot jeopardize that program.”
The flagship store in Seattle’s SODO area will remain open.
Certified Donation Centers, including drop boxes will remain open throughout the greater Seattle area.
