Our Isabel Hospice shop in Hatfield recently underwent a refurbishment to improve the shopper experience. Here, our volunteer Chloé Williamson details the transformation.
To celebrate its 26th birthday, the beloved Hatfield store underwent a well-deserved refurbishment, where the team welcomed new fixtures and fittings and even a new payment desk.
The shop in the centre of Hatfield town has been raising money for the past two decades, and has made a great impression on customers as well as the locals who have received support from the Hospice.
Isabel Hospice takes pride in working towards the recycling of unwanted clothes, shoes and many other items and is known to not only raise awareness of the support available to those with life-changing illnesses, but also about sustainability and the importance of shopping locally.
Prior to the refurbishment, shop manager Lucie told of her love of working in the store for the past 15 years, as well as discussing the ways in which the Hospice recycles its stock and strives to achieve sustainability.
Like all the Isabel Hospice shops across eastern Hertfordshire, the Hatfield store is run by a committed team of staff and volunteers, who strive to create a welcoming space in the community for customers to shop as well as raise much-needed funds for the charity.
Lucie and her team are dedicated to offering their customers the best shopping experience possible, but they are most passionate about creating personal relationships with visitors to be able to offer support to those who need it.
“It’s like a little family,” said Lucie. “We have a lot of regulars who come in to see us everyday to say hello and we love seeing them. A lot of our customers live alone, so for a lot of them, it’s more than a shop to pop in to, but a place to drop in and see friends.”
As well as creating a community feel, Lucie and her team aim to put out the best stock available in order to be able to raise as much money as possible for the charity.
“If something is a bit worn or faded but still wearable, it’ll go off to one of our clearance shops, and if they don’t think it’s suitable to be sold, it’ll be sent off to be recycled. Isabel Hospice is very on top of sustainability like that,” Lucie said.
Whilst on the topic of sustainability, it is important to acknowledge how vital charity shops are when it comes to saving the planet as well as boosting local economies.
With a total of 16 shops across eastern Hertfordshire plus online eBay and Vinted stores, Isabel Hospice encourages its supporters to donate good quality unused and unwanted items, instead of throwing them out. In this way, charity shops are responsible for slowing down fast fashion as well as reducing carbon footprints and promoting recycling.
Not only is charity shopping an amazing way to support those who need it, but it gives people the chance to find what they need for a much cheaper price.
The Hatfield shop remained open until February 10th, and as soon as the doors closed, Lucie and her staff were keen to get the refurbishment started and the journey to a new store underway.
She said: “I was really excited about the refit, it had definitely been a long time coming because the shop has been here a long time and it does really well, so it just made sense.”
Two weeks passed, and come February 22nd, the store was back and better than ever, and more importantly, open for business!
A number of new fittings, including new shelving and a new payment desk, are just a few of the changes at the Hatfield store, which now has a more modern design and layout. Improvements include the book corner, which has been transformed from a small and cramped nook to a whole space dedicated to books, DVDs, CDs and games.
The team also did an amazing job on creating a much more open and brighter space over in the women’s section. With longer shelves, consistent placement of products and the removal of an unused changing room, the new layout makes the store feel much brighter and bigger, giving customers more space to shop and browse.
If you would like to see the changes for yourself, please do drop in as Lucie and the team would be more than happy to welcome you. You can find the shop’s location and opening hours here.
Or, if you or someone you know, is interested in becoming a shop volunteer, you can find details here.
