I had a super time at the grand opening of the new South Side Mission Mart Thrift Store!
The Wait is over!!
I have blogged enthusiastically about my love of the South Side Mission Mart and their fantastic prices, great selection, high quality merchandise, and friendly staff. Here's a link to my post on "40 Items for $30 dollars" chronicling my epic haul during one of the Mission Mart $5 bag sales. That's why thrifty-minded folks all over Central Illinois have been waiting with baited breath for weeks for the grand opening of the new Mission Mart location. The wait was worth it! They did not disappoint!!
Let me take you on a tour and give you my thoughts about this new gem, located on War Memorial Drive in Peoria. You'll immediately recognize the building as the former Aldi grocery store. The fresh, new, two-tone paint job and large, beautiful signage makes it easy to see from the road.
Larger space
The first thing you notice is the fact that this new store is at least two times larger than the original location. The nice, wide aisles make navigation easy - especially for mothers with young children and strollers.
New Shelving
Check out the new white and glass shelving units! They give the entire space a fresh, modern feel.
The items are laid out very intuitively, with plenty of space for displaying items of similar or complimentary colors or textures side by side. This allows the shopper to immediately envision how to combine various pieces to complete and enhance their home's decor.
Beautifully displayed furniture
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| One shopping-weary husband, not for sale. But, the beautiful sectional can be yours! |
The furniture is arranged down the center of the store. and can be accessed from all sides to view it. I saw several up-scale pieces at fantastic prices. It is displayed complete with rugs, side tables, lamps, and accessories, making it feel like you are walking through an expensive furniture store!
Children's Corner
The children's corner is very inviting and is laid out in such a manner that children may look at toys or sit quietly and watch a video, while the parent shops just steps away for children's clothing, shoes, or infant items.
More Patio Items for Me!
You may remember that I bought a new patio set last week at Big Lots Friends and Family Weekend. There were four chairs with the new set. So, we really needed some more chairs. We found this cute little set of a table and four chair at the Mission Mart Grand Opening. It was in fantastic condition and priced at $69.99. Happily, all Mission Mart locations offer a 25% discount for military members and teachers. Since I fall into the latter category, I was grateful to get the entire set for under $60.
Shoes and accessories
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when you are shopping and two of your students show up and beg you to try on a pair of ridiculously high heels, which happen to be your size.
Yes, I did it! There's not much I won't do for the students at Peoria Cooperative Academy. I am absolutely certain that this wound up on Instagram!
No, I did not buy the boots. We'll see next week how many high school students saw our antics.
Where Your Money Goes:
This is the very best part about the South Side Mission Mart stores; one hundred percent of the proceeds from your purchases and donations stays right in Central Illinois. For over 100 years, the South Side Mission has been caring for the spiritual and physical needs of those who live primarily in the 61605 zip code, where the poverty level exceeds 50 percent! When you shop or donate to any of the three South Side Mission Mart locations in Central Illinois, you are helping support their numerous programs and amazing outreaches. Do check out their website to learn more.
My Evaluation:
I asked the staff and they said that there was a huge line of eager shoppers waiting for the 10am ribbon cutting ceremony. This level of traffic continued throughout the day during their grand opening. After exploring and spending my fair share of cash, I'd say that this trend will undoubtedly continue for this great store. The clean, crisp colors, great lighting, fantastic displays, wide aisles, and new shelving all lend themselves to the look and feel of an upscale boutique with fantastic prices and friendly service.
Location, Hours, and Sales:
They are located at 603 E. War Memorial Drive and are open Monday - Saturday from 9am to 7pm. You can click here to download a monthly calendar of daily specials at the South Side Mission Mart locations. Be aware that the War Memorial location is having its own grand opening sales and specials during the month of October. Beginning in November, they will be on the same sales schedule as the other two locations.
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Do all to the glory of God,
The new store is a major improvement over their old locations (Pioneer Pkwy and the old Knoxville Ave. stores). We will certainly be doing some regular visits to the new War Memorial store.
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