Birmingham Hospice has opened a new clearance outlet shop on West Bromwich High Street, where the vast majority of items are priced at just £1. The store, located at 203 High Street in the former Cancer Research shop, saw crowds gather outside before its doors opened on Monday, July 6.
Bargain Prices and Community Support
The clearance store offers hundreds of bargains, with most items costing £1. Exceptions include electrical goods and coats, which are priced at £3 or two for £5. The shop operates seven days a week, from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
Natalie Stringer was among the first customers and purchased six items on opening day. She said: “It’s really good, loads of choice, really good prices and amazing staff. I’ve got some net curtains, some shorts, a nice dress, six things in all.”
Personal Connections to Hospice Care
Sally Forster, another happy shopper, said: “This morning on the way to the gym, I noticed the new signage and on the way back I was so happy to see that it was full, bustling and raising money for a really good cause.”
West Bromwich sisters Helen Tomlinson and Elizabeth Nicklin were among the first through the doors, purchasing a cushion and coasters. Elizabeth said: “I was so looking forward to it, I had butterflies.” Helen added: “We lost our brother, my twin brother five years ago, and he spent his last few weeks in a hospice so we do like to support hospices because they are a godsend.”
Overwhelming Response from the Community
Katie Wolfindale, relief assistant manager at the new shop, said: “We’ve been working really hard through the heatwave to get the shelves stocked making sure everything looked perfect for opening. To see the crowd outside before we even opened, it was brilliant. It’s such a lovely community in West Bromwich so to see so many out for the opening, it’s fantastic.”
John Ridd, Retail Area Manager for Birmingham Hospice, said: “We’ve never opened a Birmingham Hospice shop in West Bromwich before so we’re really excited to be in West Bromwich in the heart of Sandwell, raising vital funds for our hospice. I’ve been with the hospice for 16 years and opened quite a few shops and this is the most I’ve ever seen in one morning. It’s amazing and hopefully it will carry on. It’s a clearance shop so the majority of items are just £1, with the exception of electrics or coats which are £3 or two for £5.”
Fundraising for End-of-Life Care
Birmingham Hospice currently cares for around 670 patients a day. This year, the charity needs to raise approximately £8 million from voluntary income, including retail, to continue delivering specialist palliative and end-of-life care. The new clearance outlet is expected to contribute significantly to this fundraising effort.
