FurKids Thrift Store is a unique, high-end thrift store and is located righ in the heart of Peachtree Corners. The store's proceeds go to help fund the non-profit FurKids, a one-of-a-kind cage-free, no-kill animal shelter that works in conjunction with Petsmart to find homes for kitties and pups no one loves.
This spacious 7,000 square foot building has everything you would expect to find in a thrift store and then some.
"The treasures are there and there’s a lot of great deals to be had,” said FurKids founder, Samantha Shelton. “It is just one more way we’re serving our community, by providing really nice items to people that are affordable and at the same time it’s helping our shelter.”
You can find treasures of all kinds: clothing, furniture, kitchen utensils, home decor, crafts, luggage, linens, pet supplies, electronics, books, jewelery and more. You can find anything from a 25 cent plate to a thousand dollar china set and everything in-between.
”I can share with you many stories of people that have come in and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here, because I lost my job and I need to buy a present for someone or a card,” Shelton said.
One of those stories was about a lady who cried while she was at the store, she said she had been laid off and couldn’t afford retail prices; this was the only way she was able to get nice things for herself.
“I remember that day she bought a bathrobe for two dollars and you would have thought she bought a diamond ring,” Shelton said. “She wrapped herself in this beautiful bathrobe and she was just thrilled about it. And to me it's like a lightbulb went off in my head like, 'hey this is a great community outreach.'”
The store manager, Lauren Miller, said they receive so many high-quality items because a lot of the donations come through FurKids extensive support base, which has been steadily building since its inception in 2002.
The thrift store concept began about a year later as a yard sale at Shelton’s house. “It grew into this huge mass following,” Shelton explained.”It would be twice a year in the spring and the fall and it grew to be so large it took over my neighbor’s yard, and it was the only fundraiser we were doing at the time.”
Then Shelton approached a real estate company that owned a building no one was using. They asked if they could move in for a month, operating on the weekends; they set up and received donations and when the month ended, they moved-out and gave what was left to other charities.
When she approached Cartel Properties about the space the store currently resides, they began with the same format. “Then we had so much stuff leftover that they said, ‘Hey, you know, why don’t you just stay. You’re driving traffic to the shopping center and the other tenants like you here,’ so we just stayed and we operated every Saturday.” Shelton explained.
In September she decided to take a leap of faith; so she hired a store manager and made FurKids Thrift Store a six-day-a-week operation. You can now shop or donate Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
There are different specials daily, and Wednesday is senior and military discount day. New items are put out every day so check back often.
Happy shopping!
Editor's note: Furkids consignment store is located at 4015 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Norcross, GA 30092, phone: 770-817-1405.
