A SALVATION Army in Minnesota has been forced to close due to financial difficulties.
The Austin, Minnesota location, which is about 100 miles from St. Paul, has been a staple in the community for 75 years.
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Store manager Major Jeff Strickler told the local CBS affiliate KIMT what closing the store it was the best decision, although many locals were disappointed.
It struggled to make a profit for many years.
‘LOSING MONEY’
“It’s really for the best,” Strickler said.
“Obviously, if we kept our store open, if things were going the way they are, we would be losing money and that would be diverting money from the social services we provide here.”
The cost of keeping the thrift store open is not the only reason for its closure. The store had been dealing with staffing shortages since the pandemic.
In addition to clothing, furniture and shoes, Salvation Army stores across the U.S. provide families in need with food, gas vouchers, medical care and rental assistance.
In March, the Austin, Minnesota location distributed more than 22,000 pounds of food to 801 families in need.
“With our numbers continuing to increase, we truly depend on donations to help keep our food shelves stocked for those in our community who are food insecure,” the Salvation Army posted on Facebook. Facebook on March 18th.
Many people depend on the store for basic needs.
“I think a lot of community members will be disappointed because we have a lot of people that shop at the store and it helps them a lot of times if they’re on a fixed or low income, you know you’re able to purchase items at lower costs through thrift,” Strickler said. .
In a press release, he also shared that Salvation Army officials “worked tirelessly to explore multiple avenues to sustain store operations,” according to the Austin Daily Herald.
“However, the economic impact of the pandemic has made it increasingly difficult to maintain viability,” Strickler said.
Fighting to draw
The store has been struggling to break even for years.
Despite the closure, the Austin thrift store will continue offering vouchers to those in need.
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Customers will be able to use the vouchers in other locations.
The store will continue accepting donations until April 27th.
The last day of operation is May 31, 2024.
Store employees say they will remain steadfast in their mission to serve the local community.
They are encouraging the public to continue to support them during the transition period.
As previously reported by The US Sun, stores across the US have continued to close in what is being called a retail apocalypse.
Earlier this week, clothing company Express announced it would close 100 stores and file for bankruptcy.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
