Winchester, VA, July 11, 2022—The Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop in the Sharp Shopper Grocery Outlet shopping mall in the east of Winchester is moving to the larger space in the same mall currently occupied by 81 Outfitters. The new location is expected to open in early August.
Once the Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop is settled into the new location at 808 Berryville Ave., Blue Ridge Hospice will open a pop-up Holiday shop in the current location at 822 Berryville Ave. through the end of the year.
“This all came together really fast,” explained Cheryl Ringer, Chief Financial Officer and head of thrift shops at Blue Ridge Hospice. “But it’s a great opportunity for Blue Ridge Hospice to expand the existing store—one of our fastest growing shops—by moving to a location in the same mall that has a larger floor plan that is approximately 2,500 square feet larger than our current location, which will make it similar in size to the second Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop in Winchester located at 116 Featherbed Lane.”
Blue Ridge Hospice will retain the 81 Outfitters’ staff and take over its remaining inventory. “The fact that we can take over the lease of the building from 81 Outfitters as they unfortunately go out of business, while offering their staff an opportunity to remain gainfully employed, is icing on the cake,” Ringer added.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with the owner of 81 Outfitters and would like to wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. We welcome the 81 Outfitters team to the Blue Ridge Hospice family and we look forward to learning from the skillset they bring with them,” stated Anthony Crosen, Vice President for Thrift Operations and Facilities at Blue Ridge Hospice.
Blue Ridge Hospice is committed to keeping its existing store at 822 Berryville Ave. open as long as possible throughout the transition. Blue Ridge Hospice is currently going through the hiring process with the 81 Outfitters employees who have expressed an interest in staying on. The new hires will be trained in July, assist with the move of the shop to the new building, and eventually staff the holiday pop-up shop at 822 Berryville Ave.
Donations are still being accepted at the current Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop location. Donations will be accepted at the 81 Outfitters location when the store opens to the public.
“We’ve always dreamed of opening a Blue Ridge Hospice Holiday Shop, so we are really excited that everything is falling into place right now,” Ringer said. The holiday shop will feature sections offering items for most holidays including Christmas, Easter, Hannukah, and Halloween.
About Blue Ridge Hospice
Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving friends and neighbors across the northern Shenandoah Valley since 1981. With a mission of “brightening life’s journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve,” Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the northern Virginia counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Blue Ridge Hospice consistently exceeds the national averages for quality as reported on Medicare’s Hospice Compare website. Contact us to learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice, or call 540-313-9200.
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