Adele Sparg, 49, loves helping people. But she’s not a big fan of being in the spotlight.
Which is why you’ll probably find her working away in a backroom or unboxing old treasures at The Shop; a brand new second-hand charity store at the Spargs shopping mall complex in Beacon Bay.
It is Sparg’s new venture; a concept she’s borrowed from her time working at her church’s thrift and second-hand bazaars over the years.
“I’ve always loved thrifting and charity shops. I love seeing what people give away, but what I love even more is seeing what people buy. It’s nice to see how people find value in things that others have sort of thrown out,” shared Sparg.
“I got a BCom degree in accounting and management, and worked at the Spargs offices for a few years, but after I had my children, I was a full-time mom. I was really lucky that I didn’t have to work, but now that they’re both out of the house, studying in the Western Cape, I have the time and the energy to do something else, so I became very involved with my church.
“We did lots of markets, bazaars, and things like that, and my ‘work’ became church and charity. Because of that, all my friends kept bringing me second-hand stuff, asking me who could use it and where it could be helpful,” she quipped.
“So eventually I actually started a second-hand shop for our church’s knitting group to buy wool and make items for local charities. But I kept thinking how great it would be to have my own space,” Sparg said.
And so, with a lot of help from the Spargs Group, who have donated a space in their office building, secondhand shelving, rails, shopping baskets, and even hangers, The Shop was born.
“Spargs have been really amazing, but everyone has. Without all the people that helped and offered their time and energy, we definitely wouldn’t be here,” Sparg said.
The Shop is a monthly pop up that runs fully on a donation basis; charities collect good quality second-hand items to be sold, drop them off with Sparg, and she gives them a space to be showcased and (hopefully) snatched up.
The best part is she doesn’t charge the charities any fees! And every single cent of the profits from the items sold is then given back to those charities.
“Everything is run off of a volunteer basis, we don’t keep any of the profits and no one is paid to be here. The ladies that help me unpack, sift through, and price everything, my cashiers are a husband and wife team in their 70s. Everyone donates their time and effort,” Sparg said.
“My mom also helps me a lot, my daughter helped with the logo, and my husband came up with the very original name,” she quipped.
The public is also encouraged to donate any good quality items to The Shop. They can pick their charity of choice or allow Sparg to sell the items and distribute the profits among various charities that are being supported during that specific pop up.
Her very first pop up was done in aid of Guardians of Hope and saw people stop by at The Shop over four days in May.
A total of R40 000 was raised for the charity and Sparg is excited to get more charities involved.
“I chose Guardians of Hope as the first charity, because I knew of them and they’d been in the media recently.
“But The Shop isn’t just for one charity and the idea isn’t for me to pick charities. I’d love for charities to contact me and we’d set up a roster of sorts so each pop up would be for a different charity,” Sparg said.
“Each charity would bring their items. And then we’d price and label them with their own unique tag, so when we ring up the item we know which charity those proceeds go to.
“Anything the public donates to The Shop, without a specific charity in mind, will be labelled with our tag. Those proceeds will then be split and donated to the different charities, depending on how much of their items are sold,” Sparg explained.
Centre manager for Guardians of Hope, Gézelle Ihlenfeldt, said they were incredibly grateful to have been part of The Shop’s very first pop up.
“Initiatives like this are so meaningful because they create a beautiful way for communities, businesses, and charities to work hand in hand for a greater purpose.
“For homes like ours, every partnership and every act of support helps us continue providing care, safety, and hope to vulnerable children.
“What makes this initiative especially special is that it doesn’t only benefit one organisation, but opens doors for many charities to be uplifted and supported in sustainable and creative ways.
“Adele’s [Sparg’s] heart for community and her willingness to use her platform to make a difference is something we deeply admire,” said Sparg.
The Shop’s opening pop up was nothing short of a success, and even saw shoppers snake around the store to queue up and purchase their newfound treasures.
“We had so many people, we actually almost ran out of stuff towards the end. Lots of people even came back multiple times, but that might be because they realised how I work,” Sparg said.
“I don’t just put everything out all at once, or put all the good stuff out from day one. I spread it out over the four pop up days so there’s always something new to see.
From artworks, glassware, R10 books, trinkets, and quirky jackets to glassware, tea sets, and even an impressive vintage fishing wheel, The Shop was teeming with interesting finds.
“We didn’t get a whole lot of donations at the beginning, and a lot of the stuff was actually things I’d been collecting for this over the past year. I think now that the public knows what we do, we have seen a few more donations come in.”
She said while they’d received all sorts of weird and wonderful things, quality was always a top priority.
“I love giving things new life, but I also want to give people a chance to find something nice without having to spend lots of money.
“I hate that saying; beggars can’t be choosers. That’s why I’m very particular about quality. It’s something I’m going to be strict on. I don’t want things that are chipped and broken. I don’t mind old, but I want to be able to provide people with great quality second-hand things,” she said.
Sparg’s next pop up takes place from June 24-27, and this time two charities will reap the benefits; Ross Helping Hands and Plateless.
For more information visit The Shop social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.