Thrift store locations are having to shut their doors, due to record-setting donations

LANGHORNE, Pa. - Thrift stores are seeing a lot more donations than usual during the pandemic and that is a good thing, right? Well, maybe and maybe not. The problem is there are not enough workers to go through all the donations.

The truck has come and gone and taken a ton of donated clothing, furniture and toys. Capacity is the difference in a Langhorne Goodwill donation center remaining open or shutdown. Record setting donations and fewer people to deal with them.

“Yeah, it seems to be pretty closed,” said one potential donor.

“What are you gonna do now,” asked FOX 29’s Hank Flynn.

“I’ll probably take it back home and wait until next time,” replied the potential donor.

No drop-offs at Langhorne Goodwill Tuesday, with yellow tape flapping in the cold breeze keeping donors like Derek away. He says some stuff there is nowhere else to bring it.

“Yeah, you know, sometimes it is hard to get rid of some stuff, especially if you’ve had it for a long time. And, grandma has a 20-year-old coat that you kept. I don’t really think it’s in style anymore. I don’t know if anyone’s gonna wear it,” Derek explained.

“I think people being locked at home has forced people to do a deep clean of their homes. And, a lot of stuff is coming to us,” Mark Boyd, CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Jersey and Philadelphia, explained.

Boyd says it’s a perfect storm – overwhelming donations met by fewer workers, many parents with children doing virtual learning. But, donations are a thrift store lifeblood, so he’s emphatic – keep it coming.

“You be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Well, we’ve got it now. It’s certainly a challenge, but it’s a challenge that we are up to,” Boyd commented.

Another big thrift store challenge is shoppers. Just like many retail stores, thrift stores don’t currently have many shoppers.

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