It was nearly a year ago that Talize opened in North Bay, and the community’s response has been “incredible,” says Sydnie Blaskievich, general manager of the new location.
Talize is Canadian-owned and operated, and this store is the chain’s first ever location in northern Ontario. For thrifters in North Bay, Talize is a welcomed new option for shopping. It’s a large store, and a little cleaner and tidier than your average thrift shop experience.
Everything is organized into appropriate categories, and the books and media sections often offer inexpensive textbooks for students. There is also a wide variety of entertainment options, such as DVDs, records and board games. And for vintage lovers, you never know what finds you’ll come across in the clothing and housewares sections.
But on top of the thrill of the hunt, there’s also the financial benefit of thrifting at Talize.
“As a thrift shopper and someone who grew up in North bay, I know how important it is to budget what you have,” says Sydnie. She says that Talize tailors their stores to the communities they’re in and looks to their managers as experts in their own communities. Sydnie can tell the company what their customers need, and they will heed her advice.
To this end, it’s been a priority of Sydnie’s to keep the children’s and maternity sections well-stocked and affordable whenever possible. Talize overall makes a conscious effort to keep those categories reasonably priced, since it’s not something that customers or their children can wear forever. Plus, it’s a big help to families to keep them financially accessible. “When you have a couple kids and they’re growing like weeds, it’s really expensive when they grow out of their snowsuits or their winter boots,” she says.
The toys and footwear are also affordable— and when children grow out of them, families can donate them back and keep them out of a landfill. Sydnie and her team take pride in the sustainable side of their workplace.
“Something in our culture that is popular to do is to thrift, post it online, and talk about what you found. But something that’s not talked about enough is being sustainable,” she says. “By shopping with Talize, not only are you shopping within your community, you’re also helping the environment.”
Talize encourages community members to donate items to the store and benefit by receiving a coupon. One of their goals with these coupons is to promote sustainability in the community; shoppers benefit by donating back to the store, and other shoppers then enjoy the items and give them another life. It’s a win-win for avid thrifters.
Currently, Talize North Bay employs around 40 local people. At the moment they’re not hiring, due to the fact that they’ve been able to maintain most of the staff they had when they opened— and even hired a few more. The people currently working at the store had a hand in making it a success from the day of the grand opening, when they had lineups in the parking lot.
In April of this year the store will be celebrating their one-year anniversary, with likely a big promotion in order. Shoppers should keep an eye out online for more details as the month approaches.
Even before the big anniversary event, spring is just around the corner. It’s a nice time of year to be out with the old and in with the new, changing up your wardrobe and your home decor. Sydnie and the Talize North Bay crew will be happy to help you find what you need.