The PWP Op Shop, 7 Rose Street, Upper Ferntree Gully
What is it that provides us with a satisfying Op Shop experience? Well, I can tell you what turns me off. You know how some Op Shops these days have been given over to professionalism and paid staff. Not all but many of these provide a sterile experience and while I might wander into this type of shop from time to time, I rarely buy anything. I am, at my shopping best, a discovery shopper. And my guess is that the readers and writers of this blog are discovery shoppers too.
The phrase "discovery shopper" was coined by trend consultant Faith Popcorn about a decade ago. The discovery shopper is an explorer. Prepared to discover new territory. The discovery shopper will take time - not just wander into the major chain in the shopping mall and busily take something off the hanger and march to the check-out. The discovery shopper is quite happy NOT following the latest trend or the majority of other consumers. The discovery shopper will favour the unique, the different. The discovery shopper is a person who favours original style. And the discovery shopper does NOT want a marketing concept laid out just to take up an item and walk off with whatever the store buyer has decided is the thing to have this season.
And so it is with Op Shops. This is why I believe my local, favouritest Op Shop deserves full marks - in fact, 11 out 10.
Take a look at its shop front at the top of this post. And below is the eye-catching artwork of the dressing room:
For more pictures, please pop over here.
And then there are the bargains. Herself (I live with my adult daughter) came home with these the other day. We love good quality botanical prints and paintings. These fitted the bill and at $5 each - a total of $20 - fitted the purse as well. Be-yoot-ee-ful!
