$avings At The Salvation Army September 8, 2012

I was in Wilmington on Thursday for a doc appointment and afterwards I drove over to The Salvation Army which is located by the train station. As a child I remember my grandmother taking us shopping at a Salvation Army on North Avenue in New Rochelle and it was never fun or exciting. However, when I walked into this Salvation Army my heart started palpatating and my mind filled with excitement! It had been over 16 years since the last time I was here and things had really changed, the lighting was bright, the merchandise was neat and the space was huge. It was here back in the early ’90’s that we bought our first dining room set, a Butler’s Pantry and a crib. The pieces were nice but I had to strip and re-stain the table, re-upholster the chair pads and disinfect the crib. Although we no longer have the dining room set or crib I did keep the Butler’s Pantry and it is currently in our living room storing the “good China” and wedding photo albums.

According to the history of The Salvation Army it was founded based on the gospel of Jesus Christ helping the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and the destitute and what William Booth started in 1865, is just as relevant today. Donating and shopping at The Salvation Army helps so many people and great causes that it makes you feel good about spending money in their stores.

Upon entering this location what struck me was the department store atmosphere, the bright lighting, the open landscape, overly organized and color coordinated merchandise. I spent the first few minutes just walking around checking out the signage, tags and watching and listening to the associates interact with customers. The associates were busy on the floor yet, when they passed, they acknowledged you with a smile and a few kind words, this really made me feel welcomed, wanting to linger longer and spend more. I was so impressed that I sought out an employee who turned out to be the store manager, Don Walker. I expressed my delight explaining that I was a Blogger and would be writing about my positive experience. He thanked me, provided an update on the changes at the Salvation Army and then took the time to explain and write down the sales policies.

• Monday and Tuesday – 1 color tag in every department is 50% off

• Wednesday is Family Day and 3 colors in clothing, shoes and books are 50% off

• Thursday/Friday/Saturday – 1 color tag in clothing and shoes is 50% off (yesterday it was Blue)

I love the fact that they are closed on Sundays, and sometimes I wish Delaware would return to the days of the “Blue Laws”. Stores were closed and people went to church, rested and/or spent time with family and friends. I think we all need a day to shut down and just take time to relax especially during these crazy times of discord. Don also told me that they get new furniture from a local store and it’s sold at extremely reduced prices, so if you are in the market for a leather Lazy Boy Chair, come here first. I took a lot of pictures so you can see just how organized, and spacious this location is and I vowed to return to do more shopping and less documenting.

Please note, because I took so many pics inside the store, I need to write another post detailing just my purchases. Look closely at the pictures to see how neat and clean the floors are, the hangers are all set straight, no dust on the furniture and the mirrors sparkle…I need this at my house!