Uncategorized | Americas Thrift Stores

America’s Thrift Stores Welcomes New Alabama Partner in 2018

Posted on December 11, 2017

Dear Friend of ATS or Loyal Customer or Frequent Donor,

For the past 32 years, supporting charitable missions has been at the heart of all we do at America’s Thrift Stores. In that time we have contributed more than $25 million in Alabama alone. This is a legacy we will continue as our mission as an organization is to contribute $100 million to our charitable partners over the next 20 years. Simply put, this is who we are, and who we will continue to be. As a result, it is with great excitement that we announce that, beginning January 1st, 2018, America’s Thrift Stores will embark on a long-term, statewide charitable giving campaign with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama. The mission of Make-A-Wish Alabama is to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, and we are honored to partner with such a remarkable Alabama charity.

While we are excited for the future, we are also extremely proud of the past. The support we have been able to provide to three separate charities in the state of Alabama is no small accomplishment, and we are especially grateful for our partnership with King’s Home. Our contributions of more than $20 million over the past 25+ years have helped King’s Home carry out their vital mission, and we anticipate cheering them on and watching them thrive for many years to come.

Now we look forward to a new opportunity. We are fortunate and grateful to embark on a new mission with a single, statewide partner, Make-A-Wish Alabama. By coordinating our donation collection and retail store focus throughout Alabama to support one single non-profit charitable organization, we will be able to operate more efficiently and cohesively, and our donors and shoppers will have one clear, single mission to support across the state. This was not a decision taken lightly, it is the result of much prayer and discussion on our part. It is a great honor to partner with a mission as important and as established as Make-A-Wish, and we are confident that this is the right move for the future of America’s Thrift Stores.

As a supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama, your donations and the resulting in-store purchases will now contribute to making wishes come true for children with critical illnesses here in Alabama. Whether a child’s one true wish is to be an airline pilot, meet a favorite celebrity, or go on a dream vacation, your donations and purchases can help make wishes come true for Alabama children who need the hope, strength, and joy that comes with having a wish granted. There are approximately 300 children in Alabama who are currently waiting on a wish, and every dollar spent and donation made will help make the wishes of these children come true.

In the coming weeks, you will begin to see changes on the signage in our stores, donation trucks, and donation bins—changes designed to reflect our new partnership with Make-A-Wish Alabama. This new development, effective statewide on January 1, 2018, will not disrupt our operations, and we are committed to continuing to serve both you and our state in everything we do.

Our mission-focused company relies on you to help us help others. On behalf of the more than 1,200 America’s Thrift Store employees across Alabama, we say thank you for being our loyal customers and frequent donors. We ask you to join us in welcoming the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama to our family, and we look forward to helping them grant wishes for many years to come.

Thank you
Ken Sobaski
President & CEO
America’s Thrift Stores

Visit our FAQ page to learn more.

Weather Closings and Delays – December 8, 2017

Posted on December 8, 2017

Due to inclement weather, the following stores will close at the times listed:

Early closings on Friday, December 8th:

Alabaster – 10 a.m.
Gardendale – 10 a.m.
Huffman – 10 a.m.
Jasper – 10 a.m.
Pell City – 10 a.m.
Bessemer – 4 p.m.
Tuscaloosa – 4 p.m.
Rainbow City – 12:30 p.m.
Marietta – 1 p.m.
Baton Rouge – 6 p.m.
Ocean Springs – 6 p.m.
Prattville – 6 p.m.

Delayed openings on Saturday, December 9th:

Alabaster will open at 10 a.m.
Garedendale will open at 10 a.m.
Huffman will open at 10 a.m.
Jasper will open at 10 a.m.
Pell City will open at 10 a.m.
Marietta will open at 10 a.m.
Bessemer will open at 10 a.m.
Tuscaloosa will open at 10 a.m.
Baton Rouge will open at 10 a.m.
Ocean Springs will open at 10 a.m.
Prattville will open at 10 a.m.
Double Springs will open at 10 a.m.
Rainbow City will open at 11 a.m..

Stay tuned as we update this page or follow us on Facebook for up to date info.

America’s Thrift Best Thrift Store in Alabama

Posted on August 22, 2017

According to a recent Business Insider post, America’s Thrift is the best thrift store in Alabama. The article states:

“Founded in 1984, America’s Thrift Stores has 17 locations in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. However, the Center Point, Alabama, location is a fan favorite. The store frequently updates its offerings of used clothes, household items, and other curios.”

We are honored that so many thrifters in Alabama love to shop our locations. We strive hard to provide the best and freshest selection each and every day.

Click here to read the post.

Spring Cleaning Plan

Posted on April 1, 2017

It’s that time again: Spring Cleaning. Before you scrub, steam clean and clean coat, declutter your home and donate to our ministry partners. Does figuring it out where to start overwhelm you? Here is a guide to help you tackle the house in just 5 days.

Cleaning out the Closet

Posted on March 28, 2017

As the seasons change, so does our wardrobe! Since spring is FINALLY here, it’s time to put away those heavy sweaters and coats and get the short sleeves and sandals out and ready for action! The changing of seasons is the perfect time to clean out the closets and make room for all the new styles that will be coming out for spring and summer. But, how can you decide whether or not to keep that favorite shirt? Or even that pair of jeans that must have shrunk since last season? Here’s a helpful chart that will help you figure out what to keep and what to DONATE:

Don’t you wish everything in life was that easy?

Once you have restored order in your closet, gather your bags and boxes of gently used or unwanted clothing, shoes and household goods (like pots & pans, plates, vases, old sports equipment) and call us at 1-800-964-4567 to schedule a FREE home pick-up or bring them to one of our local local Donation Drives (every person who donates 2 boxes or large bags of gently used items will receive a special discount coupon good for one week only).

National Cleaning Week

Posted on March 15, 2017

Too much “stuff” and no where to put it? If you’re like most people, you’ve found it easier to “store it” than to “get rid of it.” Most families have accumulated an excess of clothing and shoes that are now crowding them out of their homes. Some families have even purchased larger homes just to have a place to put all their “stuff.”

National Cleaning Week is March 26-April 1 and it’s the perfect opportunity to clean out closets, basements and storage lockers. When kids outgrow clothes and there are no more children to pass them on to – donate the clothes to our ministry partners. When clothes are outgrown, out of style and the colors are not in fashion – donate the clothes and shoes to our ministry partners. There is a saying that “if you haven’t worn it in three years – get rid of it.” Some families pay hundreds of dollars just for mini-warehouse space to keep things they will never wear or use again.

A lot of families – especially in this area – use the “clean out” season as a time to get things together for a yard or garage sale. Keep in mind that we will pick up the “leftovers” after the sale is over, FOR FREE! Just set it up by phone or online.

National Cleaning Week is the perfect time for Spring Cleaning and to donate our many ministry partners. We will pick up the donations at your home FOR FREE. The items are sold at the America’s Thrift Stores and each of our partners benefits from every sale.

For FREE Home Pick Ups, click here or call (800) 964-4567 (Call 1-844-411-2462 if in the Marietta, GA area).

Celebrate National Cleaning Week — March 26-April 1 — by cleaning out your closets, basement and storage locker and donating to our many ministry partners.

Giving Tuesday

Posted on November 16, 2016

Black Friday. Cyber Monday.

GIVING TUESDAY!

America’s Thrift Stores has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Occurring this year on November 29, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

11-29-2016 As you know, our goal is to donate $100 million to our ministry and charity partners over the next 10 years. We can’t do that without your generosity. This year on Tuesday, November 29, we are encouraging those to take an #UNselphie when they donate gently used clothing and hoursewares to our donation bins, manned trailer sites and stores. Simply snap a photo of you, your family and friends and caption it with the sentence below:

“On #GivingTuesday, I/We gave back to _______________________” (write the name of the ministry/charity you’re supporting in the blank)

Share it on your social media with the hashtag #GivingTuesday and #UNselfie. If you share it on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, please tag us (@americasthrift) so that we can share your generosity with others!

We’re excited to participate in a day of giving! After you’ve shopped and decorated, take some time to give back to our ministry and charity partners and let’s make a difference together.

New LOWER Prices!

Posted on June 16, 2016

We heard you! We know that value is important to you. That’s why we’ve lowered the prices on our men’s and ladies’ jeans. Our men and ladies’ T-Shirts are also now starting at just $.99!

Men’s Jeans was $3.99 – now starting at $2.99
Ladies’ Jeans was $3.99 – now starting at $.99
Men and Ladies’ T-Shirts was $1.99 – now starting at $.99

And that’s not all! We couldn’t forget the little ones! We’ve lowered the prices on many of our Children’s and Toddler clothing!

Boy’s Jeans was $1.99 – now starting at $1.49
Boy’s Pants was $1.99 – now starting at $1.49
Boy’s Short Sleeve Shirts was $1.99 – now starting at $1.49
Toddler Boy’s Overalls was $1.39 – now starting at $.69
Toddler Boy’s LS Shirts was $1.39 – now starting at $.69
Toddler Boy’s Sweaters was $1.39 – now starting at $1.09
Toddler Boy’s Winter Coats was $2.79 – now starting at $.99
Toddler Boy’s Jackets was $1.39 – now starting at $.69
Toddler Boy’s Active Tops was $1.09 – now starting at $.69
Toddler Boy’s Active Pants was $1.09 – now starting at $.99
Toddler Boy’s Swimwear was $1.09 – now starting at $.99
Girl’s Jeans was $2.49 – now starting at $1.49
Girl’s Pants was $2.49 – now starting at $1.99
Girl’s LS Blouse was $2.49 – now starting at $1.99
Toddler Girl’s Winter Coats was $1.39 – now starting at $.99
Toddler Girl’s Jackets was $1.39 – now starting at $.69
Toddler Girl’s Active pants was $1.09 – now starting at $.99

Come check out our new lower prices everyday at America’s Thrift!

Company Promotions – June 2016

Posted on June 2, 2016

We are thrilled to announce the following promotions:

Adrienne McKinney is being promoted to the General Manager position at the Marietta store.

Adrienne has been working at ATS serving in the capacity as MT since June of 2015. She began her MT training in the Marietta location. She had her retail supervisor training at the Riverdale location. She then went on to Athens where she received her production supervisor training and had the opportunity to run production operations. Adrienne finished up her training at the Marietta location where she has been overseeing all store operation since November of 2015. Adrienne has many years of management experience. Her previous position before coming on board at ATS was DTSM (District Training Store Manager) for Family Christian Stores.

Kendra Hill is being promoted to the General Manager position at the Riverdale store.

Kendra has been working with ATS for a year and six months. She has been working as the Assistant Manager of the Riverdale Georgia location for the last year. She comes to the company with over 15 years of experience in retail management, project management and merchandising. Prior to working at ATS, Kendra worked as a District Manager covering the South Florida Market with a retail service company that provided merchandising, assembly, in-home projects and new store set-ups. There she hired talent, trained and placed employees on projects she managed for major retailers such as Target, Lowes, Kmart, Office Depot, Family Dollar, Office Max and Staples. She also worked as a Regional Manager for a Fashion House in Miami Florida. There she covered Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New York and Tennessee. While there she worked closely with the sales team, the business analyst and marketing team to ensure new roll-outs and key markets were growing. Originally from South Florida, Kendra attended undergraduate school and studied Education & Counseling at Grambling State University and focused on International Business at American Intercontinental University. She is very excited about her new position with the company and the opportunity to use her experience and education to help impact company growth.

Mary O’Rourke is being promoted to the General Manager position at the Chattanooga store.

Mary joined the ATS team in December 2015 as an MT. She spent the last seven years as a Store Manager with Savers. She has extensive management experience in the textile rental business. Mary started her career as a Service and Logistics Manager for Steiner Corporation. She was promoted to Plant Manager, and in 1994 became a General Manager for Cintas Corporation and was responsible for all operations in Alabama and Tennessee. Continuing her opportunities with Cintas, Mary relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan working with the engineering team to design a “state of the art” facility designed to service western Michigan and Indiana. In 1999, Mary accepted a General Manager position with Aramark Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. Her duties as General Manager extended from all business operations in the facility, including overseeing an onsite water treatment plant as well as managing fleet operations for all divisions of the corporation. Mary spent the next several years using her vast operations background to help turnaround smaller family businesses into a profitable state. In 2008, Mary joined the Savers team as a Store Manager and managed 3 different stores in the Chicago market. During this time, Mary also oversaw several critical corporate projects.

Sandy Gandy is being promoted to the Satellite Assistant Store Manager position at the Bessemer store.

Sandy has been with ATS since 2014. She was only seeking employment starting as a cashier. Within two weeks of her employment with ATS she was asked by her supervisor if she would like to be a part of the Front End, needless to say Sandy said Yes! After Sandy’s 90 day evaluation out of over 200 employees Sandy ranked #2. She was then asked by the Store Manager if she would like to be a part of Leadership and become the Night Supervisor. She was excited even more this time. So overwhelmed with emotion she had to decline…No Transportation for the Promotion. That did not get her down Sandy worked even harder and after a month she had that CAR! Sandy transferred in July 2014 to the Bessemer Store where she has been. In November 2015 Sandy entered the Manager Trainee Program. Before ATS Sandy was an Assistant Manager at Lil Caesar’s. One night change her life…she was robbed in the store at gunpoint. Sandy feared for her life knowing she had to work. After that incident Sandy resigned she was afraid that it would happen again. Things happen for a reason because that situation put her in a whole different direction. Sandy attended Alabama State majoring in Business Administration from 2005-2007. Sandy’s faith in God has elevated her to being SUCCESSFUL!

Jared Speaks is being promoted to the Assistant Store Manager position at the Mobile store.

Jared has been with the company for 8 months now. He previously worked for Wal-Mart as an ASM for 3 years, support manager for 1 year and zone merchandise manager for 1 year. Before that he supervised 1 year for Rite Aid. His journey thus far with ATS has been quite the experience in which he has enjoyed a lot. Getting the opportunity to experience and learn from his peers and leaders in other stores such as Tuscaloosa and Alabaster has been very helpful throughout his training process. He has a family which is very proud of his choice in moving to Mobile to begin the exciting journey working for ATS. He has 3 older sisters and 3 younger brothers so he came from a large family in which he wants to make proud. His goal is to work his way up as far as possible into the cooperate world of ATS. He looks forward to growing with the company as the company grows.

Lourdes Olvera Ibarra is being promoted to the Assistant Store Manager position at the Tuscaloosa store.

Lourdes has been with the company for four and half years. She was born in Mexico. In 2003 she moved to Alabama, (a whole different environment and language). She had to learn English as soon as possible and without any documents she didn’t aspire to be more than another Mexican worker in the USA. God helped her and she was able to learn the language, graduate with an Advance Diploma and get her documents. In January 2012 she started working with Americas Thrift Store thanks to the recommendation of Adela Molina-Zapata and later that year she married her husband Juan. She started working as a sales floor dropper and six months later she became a clothes pricer then later became a grader. As the production process changed she was given the opportunity to become a CTQ and from there a Supervisor. She is thankful that the company has given her the opportunity to grow and not just be another statistic. Now with two beautiful babies and a loving husband, she is very happy to have completed the MT program.

Rachel Watts is being promoted to the Assistant Store Manager position at the Rainbow City store.

Rachael has been working with ATS for a year and six months. She started out as the Clerk in Rainbow City from 2014 to 2015. From there she moved into the Retail Supervisor position from July 2015 until October 2015. In November 2015 she moved into the MT Program. Rachael worked for KTH Leesburg Products (Honda’s Largest Supplier) from 2001 until 2009 as their Staff Accountant. At KTH Rachael started out as their Accounts Payable Clerk and worked her way up to Accounting Staff. Rachael has been married for 16 years and has a 26 year old daughter name Chrissy and a 6 year old son name Tristin. In her spare time, Rachael likes to camp, ride four wheeler and spend as much time as possible outside.

Venus Smith is being promoted to the Assistant Store Manager position at the Huffman store.

Venus has been working with ATS for 3 years. She started as a Night Supervisor in 2013 and joined the MT program October 2015. Venus supervised the Family Assistance program for the State of Alabama at the Department of Human Resources from 2005 to 2012. Venus received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Child Development in 2012 from Kaplan University.

Chuck Ellison is being promoted to the Loss Prevention and Safety Field Investigator position at America’s Thrift Stores.

Chuck joined America’s Thrift Stores in July of 2015 as a Project Coordinator. During that time he helped transition the company’s cash handling processes. From December of 2015 until May of 2016 Chuck has been working through the MT training while also conducting investigations regarding shortages for the company. Before coming to ATS Chuck worked for Target from 2007 to 2015 in Assets Protection, Leadership, and Investigations. In 2015 Chuck graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Montevallo.

Deanna Dupree is being promoted to the Manager in Training position at the Alabaster store.

Deanna began her tenure at ATS a few months ago as the dock supervisor at the Alabaster store. She is now in the Manager in Training program at the Alabaster store. Deanna’s past experience was the Manager for Maplesville recycling. She was the owner/operator for KayeCee’s Antique Mall for 12 years; where she handled payroll, quarterly taxes, scheduling, development and implementation of operational procedures and job descriptions. There she establish rules and guidelines for order and productivity for up to 250 separate vendors in a 52,000 square foot retail sales floor facility. From 1988-1999 she worked as a Controller for the Colonial Pipeline in Atlanta, Ga. She graduated from Bessemer Technical College with an Associate’s Degree in Electronics.

Earnest Neal is being promoted to the ALDM for Georgia position.

Earnest joined America’s Thrift Store in April, 2014 as a Management Trainee in our Chattanooga, TN store. He was promoted to Store Manager in our Riverdale, Ga. store in September of 2014. Earnest joined America’s Thrift Store with a background in operations and logistics. Earnest will now report to Cynthia Perlman

Carla Tipton has been promoted to the Retail Supervisor management position at the Pell City store.

Carla started working for ATS in March 1997 as a Zone Worker. She mapped out Cities for Zone Solicitors. In 2000 she transferred to Alabaster as Office Clerk and five years later came back to the Pell City location. Carla has been an instrumental Leader, training Office Clerks as well as all levels of Management within the Company. Carla is a hard worker and is always willing to learn more. As of March 2016, Carla has been promoted to Retail Manager in Pell City. In her new role she supervises the sales floor staff.

Cindy Ramsey is being promoted to the Retail Supervisor management position at the Tuscaloosa store.

Cindy started with ATS as a store clerk in October 2014. In her time with ATS, Cindy has made herself an invaluable asset to the business in Tuscaloosa. She is also a member of the Office Training team serving to train and assist the Gulf Coast Region. Prior to joining ATS, Cindy worked in sales at Spiller Furniture, as well as in Human Resources at Florida State University. In her new role, Cindy will serve as supervisor for the retail staff in Tuscaloosa.

Denise Lovell is being promoted to the Processing Supervisor management position at the Alabaster store.

Denise has been employed with The America’s Thrift Store as a very successful Clerk. Her previous experiences before The America’s Thrift Store was as a claims Adjuster for Standard and non- Standard Insurance Company. She was also employed as an Office manager for Communications Company. Denise was with U.S Army from 1983-1992 where she was an E4. She had Primary Leadership development course, Small arms repair, warehouse and administrative. In her new role she will supervise the processing team at the Alabaster store.

We would also like to welcome the following people to the ATS family:

Kathleen Locey, she is a new Manager in Training at the Riverdale store. Kathleen brings over 12 years of retail management experience to ATS. Kathy has worked for off priced retail Big Lots, Kroger and Publix grocery store chains. She is an articulate communicator and effective trainer skilled in achieving employee buy-in organizational goals. She has the ability to plan, prioritize, multi-task, and work in a fast-paced environment.

Danny Morris, he is a new Manager in Training at New Southern Wholesale. Danny is a recent graduate of the warehouse/logistics program at Shelton State Community College. He has experience in sales at City Electric and AT&T. Danny has warehouse management experience and was also the logistics trainer while at BLG Logistics.

Marty Wheeler, he is a new Manager in Training at the Mobile store. Marty has a varied background in sales and professional baseball management with the Kinston Indians, Kinston, NC and the Savannah Sand Gnats, Savannah, GA. Marty came to us recently from United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile and Central Alabama. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The University of South Alabama.

David Horn, he is a new Manager in Training at the Alabaster store. Past experience was an Account Executive for Dedicated Personnel, Inc. He spent 10 years with the Shelby County Community Corrections as the Executive Director where he supervised a staff of 32 employees; and supervised daily activities of community Corrections program. He began his professional career in 1997 as the store Manager for Thrift Stores Inc. in Columbia, SC. There he supervised a staff of 50 including office manager, cashier, drivers, and solicitors. David has his Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Troy University. David has professional memberships as 2013 Graduate of Leadership Shelby County, Past President AACC (Alabama Association of Community Corrections); Drug Court Task Force Committee Member for State of Alabama and Member of Advisory Council for AL Sentencing Commission.

Clarence Alexander, he is a new Manager in Training at the Huffman store. Clarence has over 27 years retail management experience and has supervised small and large staff operations. He came to us from Save-A Lot Grocery Store. He attended Jefferson State Community College and has an Associate’s degree in Retail Management.

Cari Brookshire, she is a new Manager in Training at the Alabaster store. Cari’s previous experiences was with Dollar General as the Store Manager. She managed several Dollar General locations in the Montgomery and Prattville area. She also has experience in logistics management with Local Trucking Company, Winn-Dixie and Aldworth Trucking. Cari studied business and accounting at Airbags Vocational School.

Bradley Christopher, he is a new Manager in Training at the Decatur Store. Brad has been a Store Director with Food Land and Belle Foods in Decatur, Alabama. He has more than seven years store management experience. He has his Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting degree from The University of Alabama in Huntsville – Huntsville, AL

Ben House, he is returning as an Assistant Store Manager at the Athens store. Ben worked for ATS previously at the Mobile store as an Assistant Store Manager where he was in charge of processing. Marty’s previous work history also includes One Main Financial where he was the Senior Branch Account Executive and sales at AT&T Wireless. He has a Baccalaureate of Arts, International Affairs from Florida State University and a Baccalaureate of Arts, History from Florida State University. He also has German Studies from The University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. He currently serves our country as a Platoon Leader – First Lieutenant in the US Army Reserve

When to Replace Your Mattress

Posted on January 27, 2016

Experts say to replace your mattress every 8 years. Over the course of time, your mattress doubles in weight from sweat, dead skin and million of dust mites. According to Glen Needham, a retired professor of entomology at Ohio State University, mattresses can become a infested over time. “All you have to do is get a female dust mite to start laying eggs, and pretty soon you have a starter set going in your mattress,” Needham said. It doesn’t help that these tiny creatures feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily and they thrive in warm and humid environments.

If that isn’t enough, during that time span, your mattresses shape and condition can cause aches and pains as well as lack of sleep. Here are some additional signs you might need to replace your mattress:

You wake up with aches and pains.
You toss and turn at night.
You feel the coils when lying on the bed.
You hear noises and creaks on your mattress when moving around.
No matter what the temperature in your bedroom, you feel too hot in bed.
You can see the inside of your mattress.
You’ve outgrown your current mattress.
Your mattress is more than 8 years old.
You don’t remember the last time you replaced your mattress.

Any of these issues are a sign that it’s time to replace your mattress set. Our Bed & Bath Event is the perfect time to replace your mattress and box springs for up to 67% off the big box mattress retail stores.

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

Don’t you wish everything in life was that easy?

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

GIVING TUESDAY!

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY

SAVE 10%TODAY