The Board of Et Cetera Shop, Inc., invites the public to an open house at the Peerless Glove Factory, 327 N. Main St., Bluffton, on Friday, April 20, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"Come and get a look at the old glove factory before it becomes the new location of the local Et Cetera Shop," said Arman Habegger, Et Cetera board chair.
"Renovation will not yet have begun, but we will have some illustrations of how the new store may appear. Some of you may have photos from the building’s earlier operation as a glove factory, and we would welcome seeing those."
Light refreshments will be provided, and the board welcomes any donations persons may wish to provide for the renovation.
"We hope you will want to come and see how we plan to turn an historical site into a new store for downtown Bluffton," said Habegger.
Background on the purchase
The Et Cetera Shop, Inc., which operates the Et Cetera Shop, Book ReViews, and Ten Thousand Villages, purchase of the Peerless Glove Factory building in January.
“After some extensive renovation, the Et Cetera Shop retail store will move to the new location that will provide it significantly more space for its operation and may allow for expanded retail offerings,” he said.
The Et Cetera Shop is one of a number of thrift stores that operate across the United States as an arm of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). These stores accept donations of clothing and apparel, housewares, and other items, sells these goods to the public, and after taking out operating expenses, donates much of its net income to MCC and, in some cases, to a local charity as well.
The Et Cetera Shop, Inc., currently owns half the shares of the 111 S Main St., building where it operates the thrift store and Ten Thousand Villages.
Now, after several years of searching and considering other options, the factory property became available, enabling the corporation to be the owner of a building that will more than double the available space for processing and retail sales.
Renovation of the new location will likely take at least 12 months.
The Et Cetera Shop, Inc., has operated under the sponsorship of seven churches in the greater Bluffon-Pandora-Lima area for 42 years.
