Libertyville thrift store moves to bigger space with better selection
Bargain hunters and those in need have a new place to shop in Libertyville.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society's thrift store in Libertyville isn't new, but it had outgrown its space on Milwaukee Avenue. It's now moved to a much bigger and more visible building at 168 Peterson Road.
The former Century Electric Supply Co. showroom is 10 times the size of the thrift store opened in early 2013 at 1125 S. Milwaukee Ave. in the Greentree shopping center. It includes space for warehouse and distribution operations that had been in Mount Prospect.
"On any given day, there are about 500 new items put out on the floor," said Lorraine Parisi, director or operations for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago. "We have everything."
An increase in donations and foot traffic necessitated the move, she added. About 3,000 people a month visited the Milwaukee Avenue location, but she estimates that will increase to about 4,000 per month based on interest so far. The relocated store had a "soft" opening Oct. 20, with the grand opening Friday.
"We had to open five minutes early because there was a lot of people waiting to get in," according to Parisi. "Nobody is immune to having a situation in life where you may have a need, and we want people to know we're here."
St. Vincent dePaul is described as the oldest charity in Chicago, helping those in need in Lake and Cook counties since 1857. The organization's thrift stores debuted in the 1970s. The Libertyville location is the only one in Lake County.
"We have so much wealth in the county, but we also have the other end of the spectrum and people don't know that," she said.
The former location was set back from the road, but this one is right on busy Peterson Road. The increased visibility fits the thinking of Harry Ohde, the new CEO and president of the Chicago St. Vincent dePaul Council, Parisi added.
"His vision is we need to grow as an organization," she said. "We need to let people know we're here to help them."