Ralph is president of the National Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Before he began this critical role, however, Ralph led the Society in Madison, Wisconsin for many years, gaining experience about all things SVdP, especially thrifts. Learn from the man who built some of the Society’s most successful stores in the United States.
Dave, CEO of the National Council, has many years experience leading thrifts for competitors. He learned through successes and mistakes. We are fortunate to now have his knowledge within our organization. To learn from Dave’s experiences with building and maintaining successful thrifts, do not miss his 50 Lessons presentation!
Like the old phrase ‘location, location, location’ for real estate, “it’s marketing my dear, marketing!” also comes to mind when thinking about a thrift store’s success. Learn how to better spread the word why your thrift exists, how it beats the competition and, very importantly, how you can help your customer meet his/her needs. Learn from SVdP Waukesha thrift manager Rod Colburn, who has a proven track record in knowing how to spread the word and build revenue with marketing for the Society.
John Walters with the Archdiocesan Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louis, and recently opened the Council’s ninth thrift store in the greater St. Louis area. John follows a formula for success that has been proven to work through his strong sales. He offers sound guidance in this video. Be sure to check it out before opening a new store.
Diane Smith-Melloy is the merchandising expert who helped to make the Society’s thrifts in Madison, Wisconsin boom. She is joined by the experienced Mike McClanahan who manages the Phoenix Council’s thrifts. Learn from these veteran managers how you can turn your backroom processing into the engine needed to drive profits. Learn the critical pieces of processing on the back-end.
Thrift stores require locations with a vibrant local community to support them through household donations. Led by thrift store leaders Paul Kleypas of Austin and Chris Trudeau of Boston, this presentation provides you with what you need to know to build or improve your thrift donation program. Learn to make your thrift even more strong by attracting and securing donations to drive growth and revenue.