Cleanliness
Cleanliness is a state of clarity, purity, and precision.
One of the most common things we hear from our customers is that our store is always so neat and organized, this is something that separates us from other thrift stores in the area.
In order for us to maintain this reputation we have to stay disciplined and thorough. This starts with our opening procedures. In the case of Long Beach, we should always have two people mopping the back half of the store. In San Pedro this means we are sweeping the floor and vacuuming the front half of the store. The stores should be divided into 4 quadrants and someone should be in each of those quadrants picking up clothes from the floor, removing empty hangers, facing clothing the right way, fronting and organizing items on the shelves, and keeping a look out for broken or damaged merchandise.
Keeping the store clean in a retail environment is an uphill battle but it is a fight we must fight; it is the good fight. There is always something that needs cleaning or tidying up, be proactive, be bold. Take the initiative and pick a portion of the store to be your project for the day. When it’s time to close, repeat the same opening procedure except mop the front half of the store if you happen to find yourself in Long Beach. A good habit to have is trying to leave the store cleaner than you found it for the opening crew the next day. If we can nurture this train of thought, in which we try to make another person’s life easier, we are well on our way to maintaining our reputation as the cleanest thrift store in the area.