ReStore Receives Recognition from Minnesota Retailers Association

Last night, retailers from around the state of Minnesota gathered to recognize the 2017 Minnesota’s Retail Champions during the Retail Rally at the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas. The Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore team was honored to be among the nominees attending the award ceremony.

“We are proud to recognize 12 innovative retailers and partners that rose to the top following a robust process to identify Minnesota’s Retail Champions,” says Bruce Nustad, Minnesota Retailers Association president. “The retail industry has a deep impact on Minnesota communities, and these award recipients are truly representative of what’s great about retail across the state.” - Quote excerpt from mnretail.org

The ReStore was named as this year's "Social Responsibility" winner, which recognizes a company dedicated to making the world a smarter, safer, healthier and more sustainable place. 

Twin Cities ReStores serve as places where local individuals and businesses can donate their gently used home improvement supplies and materials, but this past year, we ramped up our recycling efforts, too! Volunteers have been trained in the art of scrapping and recycling metals from products that cannot be sold in-store, and generous grants from Ramsey County and Hennepin County allowed our stores to utilize new cardboard balers.

"Most shoppers understand how non-profit thrift stores operate via donations from the local community," said Pete O'Keefe, ReStore's Sr. Operations Manager. "The ReStore is unique in that we specialize in building material items. Goodwill, Salvation Army and the many metro are thrift stores that specialize in used clothing send us a lot of referrals for donations of chandeliers, lumber, tools and cabinets. Our recycling efforts are a perfect fit for remodelers wishing to find a green solution for usable leftover materials."

And those donation and recycling efforts are paying off! This past year, our stores were able to divert 940 tons of materials from landfills, and revenue from the store sponsored the building of six Habitat homes. The recognition from the Minnesota Retailers Association proved that the results of these reuse and recycle programs, volunteer hours, and generous donations aren't going unnoticed.

"There are over 800 ReStores across the US, but our humble two-store operation is still growing here in the Twin Cities," Pete said. "The recognition from our Minnesota retailing peers validated that public awareness of the ReStore shopping experience is growing."

Jill echoed Pete's sentiment, saying:

"I am proud of the ReStore team and the work that we do. It is nice to know others feel that we are doing a good thing, too."

Bruce Nustad, President of the Minnesota Retailers Association stated:

“ReStore has leveraged strong Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity community partnerships and built new relationships to create a unique retail model that customers love and value. The Minnesota Retailers Association recognizes that with each and every purchase at ReStore, neighborhoods are changed and people are lifted up. ReStore was an easy choice for our first-ever Minnesota’s Retail Champions Social Responsibility award.”