Salvation Army opening new boutique in Detroit

Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read

Thrift store chain plans to open a new boutique in Detroit.

Salvation Army of Southeastern Michigan plans to open a new boutique "Sallys on Fort" in Detroit with a grand opening date of Saturday, April 1.

Here is all you need to know:

What to know

The new thrift store serves as a space for a neater, cleaner thrift experience. The shop offers everyday name-brand clothing like UGG, Nike and Steve Madden. They are also offering higher-end brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in the new boutique.

Racks of clothing on display and for sale at The Salvation Army’s newly rebranded thrift store called Sally’s on Fort during a media and employee preview on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) moved its Detroit thrift store down the street on Fort Street to another location with 5,000 square feet of floor space for variety of items. The nonprofit’s grand opening for the new store is Saturday, April 1.

Within the 5,000 square footage, it also features a new selfie station featuring a mural from Timothy Hacker, who is a local Detroit artist that also was a part of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC). The artwork reads "Sally's on Fort Street" to honor the new location.

The goal of the selfie station is to create a more hip shopping experience for younger generations.

"We're trying to be hip, we're trying to bring thrift to like millennials and give them something to be like, 'Yeah, I want to shop here,'" said Envoy Jacqulynn Idzior, administrator for The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center. "I love the selfie station, I want it to be geared towards social media and also we want people to post their finds and let others know, 'this is what I found there and I got it for really cheap.'"

This new location also replaces the former Fort Street Salvation Army Family Donation Center. Envoy Idzior explains the difference between the boutique and the former thrift store location.

"There's a couple of key points that are different," said Idzior. "One you're going to find a little bit higher-end merchandise within the boutique, the prices are probably going to be a little bit higher. It's going to be sized, we don't size in our regular stores, you're not going to find as much. But I think it's a little bit cleaner, it's a little bit neater and the quality of merchandise that you find is nicer."

(L to R) Friends and colleagues Sharon Champion of Southfield, Jaqui Jackson, 62 of Detroit and Jenea Daniels, 35 of Detroit who all work in the human resources department at The Salvation Army have their picture taken inside the newly rebranded thrift store called SallyÕs on Fort during a media and employee preview on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) moved its Detroit thrift store down the street on Fort Street to another location with 5,000 square feet of floor space to display and sell a variety of items. The nonprofitÕs grand opening for the new store is Saturday, April 1.

Each donation supports and helps fund the Salvation Army's Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center that's next door. This program helps adults who may have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. It's for 180 days and it serves as a space for individuals to get their lives back on track.

Johnnie Williams, 64 of Detroit who once was an individual in the program, and now works at the Salvation Army can attest that the program changed his life.

"I came into this program when I was 50 years old, said Williams. "I started using at the age of 13, so what does a 13-year-old know? Nothing. The program, I believe is important because it introduced me back into putting structure in my life. I didn't know how to get up in the morning, I didn't know how to go to bed at night."

"When I got here, it was a certain time you had to be in bed and get up and go to work, he said. "I hadn't had a job since 83 and this was 2010. The program helped give me structure in my life."

Williams also said that after he completed the program he was offered a job within the Salvation Army stores.

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Avid thrift shopper Jaqui Jackson, 62 of Detroit said that she is excited about the new thrift store. Jackson is also the human resource specialist at the Salvation Army ARC in Detroit.

"I absolutely love it, said Jackson. " I love the atmosphere, it's set up beautifully. I'm happy, when they see me coming, they're going to be like, "here she comes".

While Jackson was shopping during the early preview of the shop, she found a Coach bag, a few pairs of casual shoes and some glass canisters.

"Ever since I started working for the company, which will be 15 years in May, I've been shopping," she said. "I find some really nice stuff."

Where and when is it opening?

The new boutique will sit at 1627 W. Fort Street and is having a grand opening 10 a.m. Saturday, April 1.

The store plans to be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Donations for new and gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, quality housewares, furniture collectibles plus additional donations will be accepted between the hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Salvation Army new Detroit thrift store has higher-end brands