Thrift stores are gaining traction as consumers have less cash to spend, and a 117-year-old nonprofit in Los Angeles is rising up to meet the need.
Beverly Grove-based Fore Women, rebranded in August from the National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles, opened an eighth location of Fore Goods — formerly known as The Council Shop — in North Hollywood Oct. 2. Having first established its retail footprint in 1924 with a thrift store in downtown L.A., the organization is still seeing steady returns. It generated $9.4 million in retail sales and almost 368,000 transactions last year, fueling its recent expansion and giving support to its programming for women and families in L.A. County.
That includes Career MOMentum, a 16-week paid training program for women offering classroom instruction, online coursework and in-store training. The new store will serve as a primary hands-on location for the trainees.
Forward-looking opportunities
Additionally, the store brought in free professional styling with “Captain America: The First Avenger” stylist Nina De Palma on its opening day. The organization is looking to continue the offering in the future, said Marjorie Gilberg, chief executive of Fore Women.
“For us, a huge forward-looking aspect of our work is thinking about how we can fit into the post-consumer recycling economy in a way that provides more workforce opportunities for our participants and living-wage possibilities,” she said. “When people come to the store, when they shop in the store, when they donate to the store, they’re making a big difference for other Angelenos right now.”
