Street Store celebrates 10 years of giving the homeless a dignified, free shopping experience

NEWS 24

By Kaylynne Bantom.

What started as an act of kindness to give those less fortunate a dignified shopping experience has turned into a global initiative and tomorrow (12 June) the Street Store celebrates 10 years.

The enterprise is the world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up clothing store for people living on the street. It was founded in 2014 as a collaboration between a Cape Town ad agency, M&C Saatchi Abel, and the Haven Night Shelter in Green Point.

Mike Abel, the co-founder of the drive, said the aim is to give people who cannot afford to buy clothes a decent shopping experience. “We were concerned about the plight of less fortunate people. We were working with the shelter and came up with this idea of giving people who cannot afford to go to a shop a dignified shopping experience.”

Abel explained that the enterprise consists of downloadable posters in the form of a hanger, donors hang up their pre-loved items on these hangers, and those living on the street pick and choose what they want at no cost. He added that for many, this becomes their first shopping experience.