The feel good store
On 7 May 2009, a brand new store with a difference opened in the Claremont CBD. Situated on the corner of Ralph and Main Road, the 280 square metre store is next to the new public transport interchange.
Called The Feel Good Store, the outlet is a Corporate Social Investment project of the Foschini Group in partnership with the NPO, Learn to Earn. Stocking refurbished customer returns, samples, rejects and over-runs from the various brands (Foschini, Markham, Exact!, Fashion Express, Luella, Donna Claire, Sportscene, Totalsport and Due South), the project aims to fight poverty by training unemployed people in skills relevant to the retail supply chain. Says Colleen Carstens, HR Manager: CSI and Communications, The Foschini Group: “The Feel Good Store is a true reflection of what collaboration between the various chains in The Foschini Group can accomplish*. The store is essentially a “charity” store but one that intends to make a difference in the lives of unemployed people by both creating training opportunities and generating a skills base that is urgently required within the retail sector. As so aptly put by Learn to Earn, it’s brought to life their philosophy of a hand up, not a hand out. All revenue generated will be used to make this project self-funding. It is a long term aim to roll this project out to other provinces”.
Says Susan Wishart, General Manager, Learn to Earn: “Learn to Earn’s focus is the development of unemployed people and we are excited that this partnership with The Foschini Group will allow us to grow our capacity to do this. The vision for the project is that each six months a new group of 18 trainees will receive skills training and ‘on-the-job’ experience which will equip them for the formal employment sector. As with the training offered at the branches in Khayelitsha and Hermanus, the focus will be on a holistic and practical training experience”.
* All fittings and fixtures were sourced from Foschini Group stores. All design and shop fitting planning was provided compliments of the Foschini Store Design and Shop Fitting team with finishing touches supplied by Facilities Design.
In addition to cross-company collaboration, the following partners have also assisted the initiative:
- Corporate ID for the Feel Good Store was provided pro bona by Fountainhead.
- UCS donated funds for the point of sale system and training.
- Polyoak donated additional coat hangers.
- Crosscape Express is providing free transport of clothing between the depot, warehouse and store on its delivery routes of all clothing items.
- Plascon – provided the paint for interior décor and the exterior roller shutter doors.
- ITB Manufacturing donated and delivered the first 2000 shopping bags free of charge.
- FA Print donated the first 20 000 tags.
- Kenzan Tiles provided 300m2 of tiles at cost.
- Hart Multi Media donated a sound \ music system to the shop.
- AGD Studios donated the 3 Piece Mirror set.