Sheffield charity St Luke’s is set to launch their brand-new store on Tuesday 29th October at the Kilner Way Retail Park in Wadsley Bridge, and it’s their most ambitious retail project to date! Initially scheduled to open last month, unexpected circumstances resulted in the opening being delayed, but the extra time has allowed the store to make everything perfect for the grand reveal!
St Luke’s Hospice provides palliative care for adults in Sheffield who are living with terminal illnesses with the charity aiming to give them the best quality of life whilst also providing support for their families. Their charity shops located across the city all play a vital role in raising funds:
“Our retail chain raises an incredible £3 million each year towards our patient care costs, transforming supporters pre-loved items into tailored care and support for those affected by terminal illness in Sheffield.” – Kathryn Burkitt, St Luke’s Commercial Director.
Unlike any of the current St Luke’s stores, Kilner Way will see a little (or rather BIG) difference to anything they’ve ever done before in the form of a department store. Plans for the 8,500 sq ft store were announced to the public in July with the shop promising to offer a wide variety of goods for the cost-conscious sustainable shopper, creating a go-to destination for everything pre-loved. The store will also provide a donation hub for items to be dropped off by supporters quickly and conveniently thanks to a generous 7,000 sq ft of warehouse space to the rear of the store.
Kathryn Burkitt said that “there will be a full range of eco-conscious items covering everything from contemporary and vintage fashion to occasion wear – departments will include wedding, children’s, homewares, furniture and book and records.” With the retail park site offering visitors three hours of free parking as well as being well-served by public transport links, St Luke’s hopes to attract an abundance of customers who are in in the mood for a spot of retail therapy or just on the hunt for some good quality bargains - “visitors to Kilner Way will never be short on choice as we provide an ever-changing range of stock in all our departments”.
Recently St Luke’s has been engaging with their customers through a ‘Sustainable September’ campaign to encourage people to share their pre-loved treasures on social media. This falls in line with charity shops and pre-loved items having seen a recent spark in popularity, especially amongst younger generations, and now the charity hopes to provide customers with a one-stop shop to satisfy their second-hand cravings.
The new opening comes after St Luke’s The Moor store celebrated their first birthday in August after a successful year breaking all St Luke’s retail records, with over £7,500 in sales in the first day (a weekly target is set at £6,000), and in the first eight months, the store exceeded its trading budget by 21%! With its fresh, modern look and focus on urban trends and sustainability, the ‘one-of-a-kind’ concept store gained a lot of attention from Sheffield’s savvy shoppers and brought the total number of St Luke’s shops throughout the city to 14. With other St Luke’s shops located for bargain-lovers across the city all the way from Stocksbridge and Chapeltown in the north to Gleadless and Crystal Peaks in the south, Kilner Way will be the 15th store to be opened by the charity, and it’s almost time for the big reveal!
Kathryn stated that, like The Moor “Kilner Way will have its own unique look and feel, providing the perfect setting for the range that has been hand-picked by the St Luke’s retail team from our thousands of donations” and that it “will be our largest store, meeting public demand for cost conscious shopping and the rise for high quality pre-loved products”.
If you’re local to the area and have never set foot inside of a charity shop, now is your chance to check it out - you might just be converted and find a treasure! Kathryn goes on to say shopping at their stores is a win-win – “it’s good for the environment, good for your wallet and great for St Luke’s, enabling us to continue our support for around 1,800 patients every year, as well as their families and carers.”
As the store is all set and ready for opening on Tuesday, St Luke’s is also always on the look out for volunteers to assist with the smooth running of their stores. Volunteer Coordinator Leah Smith says “our retail volunteers assist in everything from unpacking donations and categorising donations to serving customers at the till, organising the shop floor and creating beautiful window displays,” and that “general volunteers are the backbone of our operations and there are so many fantastic opportunities available right now, assisting with a variety of tasks such as customer service, restocking shelves, organising displays, and lending a helping hand wherever needed.”
So set your alarms for 10.30am on Tuesday 29th October, grab your reusable shopping bags, and make your way down to Kilner Way to support this amazing charity and their exciting new store! With St Luke’s relying heavily on the generosity of the public through their custom, their donations, and their time through volunteering, they cannot do it without you!
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Kilner Way volunteer, please visit www.stlukeshospice.org.uk/volunteer, call 0114 235 7639 or email volunteer@hospicesheffield.co.uk.
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