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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Lokeren thrift store expands significantly, hires five new employees

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Kringwinkel De Cirkel in Lokeren has expanded its store and workshop space by 50%, increasing retail area to 1,300 square meters.
  • The expansion allows for better display of furniture and larger items, as well as more space for smaller goods, textiles, and books.
  • The thrift store will hire five new employees, bringing its total staff to around 60, and continues to give goods and people a second life.

Kringwinkel De Cirkel in Lokeren has significantly expanded its operations, increasing its retail space by 50% to 1,300 square meters. The expansion also includes larger workshops and storage areas, made possible by the acquisition of a city-owned building.

"We were too cramped in every aspect," said coordinator Peter Catthoor. "The expansion allows us to better display our range of furniture and large household items, and we've doubled the space for smaller articles, textiles, and books. Showing more means selling more."

We were too cramped in every aspect. The expansion allows us to better display our range of furniture and large household items, and we've doubled the space for smaller articles, textiles, and books. Showing more means selling more.

— Peter CatthoorCoordinator explaining the benefits of the expansion.

The expansion also benefits the workshop where donated items are prepared for resale and increases storage capacity. The thrift store, which has been growing an average of 5% annually for nearly 30 years, saw a surge in customers post-pandemic due to rising living costs and increased interest from younger shoppers.

With the expansion, Kringwinkel De Cirkel plans to hire five new employees, adding to its current staff of around 60. "A Kringwinkel has a dual sustainable effect: not only do goods get a second life here, but people can also build a new future here," explained chairman Jan Cools. The store welcomes an average of 250 visitors daily and processes over 1 million kilograms of goods annually, reselling nearly 60% of them.

A Kringwinkel has a dual sustainable effect: not only do goods get a second life here, but people can also build a new future here.

— Jan CoolsChairman highlighting the social and environmental impact of the thrift store.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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