LIHUE — A thrift store on Kauai is looking relocate and sell its 30,000-square-foot property in Lihue, a store representative told The Garden Island Thursday.
The Salvation Army Family Thrift Store building on Rice Street is on the market for $1.9 million. Salvation Army officials say the goal is to move to a smaller location in the area.
The store size is 23,581 square feet, while the entire property is 30,000 square feet, said Marc Stannard, Salvation Army contract, legal and property sales director.
“Despite the future possible sale of the building, our goal is to continue having a retail presence in Lihue that is essential for us to support the church and all the ministries,” said Rafael Escalera, Salvation Army divisional director of retail operations and coordinator of property improvements. “(The current building) is too big of a location for our needs.”
Escalera said the new location of the store will be determined once the building is sold.
Although the Lihue store isn’t fully stocked at the moment, store manager Lisa Dinorscio said the store will continue to take donated items.
“We would like the community to know that all the money they spend here goes to support the church,” Dinorscio said. “We need their support and their donations.”
Proceeds benefit programs sponsored through the Salvation Army, including soup kitchens, youth programs, women’s programs, church programs counseling and membership, and emergency disaster services.
The Salvation Army, a Christian church, bought the property in 2004. It is one of two retail locations it owns on the island. The other store is in Hanapepe.
Escalera said the store in Lihue, which has six employees, has been in business for five years.
Although the building is for sale, Dinorscio said she’s planning to “drum up more business in Lihue.”
“Our plan is we’re revamping. We want to upgrade,” she said. “It’s all going to be reorganized and rearranged almost as a retail environment. We want to showcase the incredible donations that we get. It’s just amazing.”
There are 11 Salvation Army Thrift stores in the state.
A previous version of this story stated the size of the store was 22,000 square feet.
