Barrie’s newest one-stop shop in the north end might not be what you’d expect.
Talize is a Canadian-owned and -operated company with 11 stores nationwide, including a new location in the Kozlov Centre.
The store operates as a thrift shop, with both like-new and vintage items.
Store manager Lisa Haley told BarrieToday that while the opening was nearly two weeks ago, the people haven’t stopped coming in at a steady pace.
“Opening day was very busy and there was a lineup around the store, which was great to see,” said Haley. “Customers tell us how beautiful it is and how much space there is, and even now we have a constant stream of shoppers, which is what you want to have.”
Like many thrift shops, Talize is on board with society’s mindset toward recycling and reuse whenever possible.
Haley says it certainly is the trend and they try to accommodate those who are looking to get rid of some things.
“We do take on-site donations from people, whether it’s drive up or bring it in and we also have a third-party company that works with us and will do pick-ups throughout the city,” she said. “Even if people donate items that are not deemed sellable, we do have ways of recycling it other than putting it in the garbage compactor."
Deals on brand names, designer fashions as well as accessories, leather goods, footwear, housewares, books and toys makes Talize a popular place for many, said Haley, but it's the women’s clothing section that's most popular.
“I would say the women’s section is the best-selling area of the store, but we really do see a lot of a mixture,” said Haley. “Footwear and jewelry are other big sellers, but we often get people coming in just because they heard about us somewhere and they end up grabbing those little knick-knacks or rare items they haven’t been able to find.”
Barrie was the 11th location to open and another is slated for Belleville later this year.
Haley says the Barrie location has been a great place to work.
“We have about 60 people here in this location, so it was a good thing when we opened,” she said. “There were some delays in getting the doors open with construction issues, but now that they are, we have provided work for many in the region.”
Check out more about Talize here.
