Salvation Army shop buzzing for an alternative event

For the last eight years, the team at The Salvation Army charity shop in Darwen have worked hard to prepare for their annual ‘Alternative Clothing Event’, welcoming thrifters and trendsetters through the door in a bid to find fashionable bargains.

The event sees a variety of alternative fashion clothing being sold such as goth, grunge and anime, attracting a wide range of customer from the local community and beyond.

Manager Tasneem Moriyah, who has been the driving force behind the initiative, shares “Darwen is a diverse town, and that’s why this event has been successful year after year. It has helped us to build our customer base and shop profile, even attracting new volunteers!”.

This year, customers got the chance to shop for their favourites early, with the team hosting a special 'After Hours First Look' on Friday 5th September, day before official event launch.

“That evening I recall saying to my volunteers ‘what if no one turns up?’” said Tasneem “I had of course done all I could to advertise it within the community, but who knows! Then, a few minutes before the opening, I saw a huge crowd of people directly outside the shop. I smiled with relief. I was very chuffed about the turnout!”.

The 2-hour launch was a huge win for the small charity shop, which attracted flocks of first-time customers through the door. The team celebrated the success of the day with some well-deserved pizzas.

“Preparation is key!”  said Tasneem, who this year joined forces with the local Salvation Army Bolton donation centre to help with stock for the event. “It can take months to source and save items for an event like this. We are lucky to have a great partnership with the donation centre and their Manager, Janice Eckersley, who always looks out for the shop. She jumped onboard with the idea and understood my vision for the event.”

Following the success of the initial launch, the event flowed into the following week, which saw more purchases from happy customers. “It always amazes me how many new customers we get from this event who didn’t know we do this every year!” said Tanseem, reflecting on the week of great shopping and community spirit.

By the end of event, the shop had achieved great sale results, with many customers offering to donate items for next year's event.

“Having it after-hours this year highlighted that late trade with the right event definitely works. It was a real morale booster, and we have started preparing for next year’s one already” Tasneem continued, “I have always looked to continue developing on the foundation of the shop, so it remains strong year after year, not through quick fixes but by working with what the community wants, careful planning and thinking outside the box.”

You can stay up to date with next year’s event by following the Darwen shop on Facebook:Darwen Charity Shop Facebook

For more events from your local stores, visit our Events page: Events - Salvation Army