The weak economy in the Pikes Peak region has been both a boon and a bane for thrift and consignment stores.Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs has noticed a decline in the quality of goods donated to the eight stores in the region, including those in Canon City and Woodland Park, said Laura Marth, assistant director of public relations.”People are holding on to things that typically they might have gotten rid of,” she said. “We’re seeing it across the board (in merchandise). With clothing, it seems people aren’t replenishing their fall and winter clothing and are deciding to wear stuff from last winter.”The lower-quality items mean more goods are ending up in the non-profit’s clearance warehouse, where all items sell for $1 each. It may eventually translate into more donated items being thrown away, which would mean higher disposal fees.But it isn’t all bad news for Goodwill: Store traffic is up six percent over the same period a year ago. And, most important to a non-profit that uses the money to fund a myriad of social service programs, sales this year are up 7 percent over the same period in 2007, said Marth.Things aren’t going so well at the Salvation Army’s four local stores, said Maj. Don Gillery. He said donations to and revenue from the stores are down 20 percent because “people are keeping their stuff and not buying new.” The non-profit also has seen a decline in the donation of food.At the same time, demand for the Salvation Army’s services is up 20 percent, he said.The Salvation Army feeds more than 600 people each day — seniors, children and the homeless — and runs a number of other programs, including the city’s homeless shelter, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, subsidized housing for low-income seniors and a toy drive for teens at Christmas.”What’s going to have to happen is that people who have money are going to have to give sacrificially,” Gillery said. “I’m not sure Americans are willing to hear that. We’ve got less, but we know people are hurting more than us. During the Depression, that’s what they had to do. They had to give sacrificially.”So far, ARC Thrift Stores of Colorado have not experienced the same problems afflicting Salvation Army stores, said Lloyd Lewis, president and chief executive.The Denver-based non-profit does not release sales or donation statistics, but Lewis said donations have remained steady, the quality of those donations has not declined, and sales have been increasing at the three stores in Colorado Springs and the 15 others along the Front Range.He said the conventional wisdom is that donations go down during tough economic times, but he hasn’t seen that in his first year on the job. He said the agency has been aggressive in letting the public know that revenue from its stores funds advocacy, jobs and housing for the developmentally disabled.The economy’s mixed effect on non-profit thrift stores is also playing out at a couple of the for-profit consignment stores in the area.Encore Consignment, in the 2200 block of east Pikes Peak Avenue, specializes in furs and clothing for women. Owner Nadine Guthrie said sales began to slow in the last quarter of 2007. In September, sales were down 12 percent compared to the same month a year ago, she said. Customer traffic also slowed when gas prices spiked, but Guthrie said she’s seeing some additional store traffic since gas prices have moderated.There’s been no slowdown in the number of customers seeking to consign their clothing, though.”There’s not a store big enough to take everything that people want to get rid of,” Guthrie said. “We Americans, we like excess.”The children’s consignment store Tantrums, on Union Boulevard across from the Olympic Training center, is going great guns, partly because of the faltering economy, said owner Shelly Mason.”Our consignees have been bringing in more because of the economy,” she said. “They can use the credit in the store, or we pay out checks twice a month. The economy has definitely increased the volume of inventory.”On the flip side, we’ve seen an increase in clientele buying,” she said. “It’s a great option for families to recycle and buy bigger sizes. With the economy, it has just become a necessity for a lot of families.”Contact the writer: 636-0197 or bill.mckeown@gazettedev.gazette.com

Jamie Guerra sorted through clothes that were donated to Goodwill in the West Colorado Avenue’s production area Wednesday morning. Photo by Carol Lawrence, The Gazette