Short shrift for old thrift

A downtown thrift store run by the Sacramento SPCA is nearing the end of its 42-year-run. The Adoptable Goods SPCA Store on 1517 E St. has stopped accepting donations and will close in December.

Sacramento SPCA CEO Kenn Altine told SN&R that the store—which offered vintage and second-hand clothing, collectibles, household items and décor—played an “integral role” in the community. In a release, Altine explained what he meant, saying the location generated “$3.2 million towards shelter programs, building improvements and most importantly, the building and remodeling of the Sacramento SPCA’s Spay/Neuter Clinic, which performs more than 18,000 life-changing surgeries every year.”

Rising operating costs and an inability to make enough sales weren’t new problems, Altine said in an interview.

“We’re seeing this happen in the retail industry,” he said. “It’s tanking. Any brick- and-mortar retail is not doing well, in fact doing very poorly. And in the resale market, we’re also seeing a pretty big contraction in the market.”

Stores such as Thrift Town and Salvation Army are also closing or reducing locations in Sacramento, part of an “inevitable decline of a much cherished institution,” Altine said.

The SPCA is still accepting books and items for its animal shelter, but asks that donations be dropped off at the shelter at 6201 Florin Perkins Rd., rather than the thrift store. Altine also said the public can still look forward to annual events such as the book sale and online auctions.