Shoppers 'Stormed' Saturday Opening of Fridley Salvation Army Store

What is your impression of the new retail outlet? Share your thoughts in a comment.

Fridley's new Salvation Army store—the first in the Midwest to sell only new merchandise—took in $78,000 on its opening day Saturday. That's according to a tweet Monday afternoon from the Salvation Army: Saturday shoppers stormed our new Fridley store that only sells new items. $78,000 raised for ppl in need. "It's a new look at an old idea," Jack Kinney, director of Operations for Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center told the Star Tribune: "We needed to change or cease to exist," Kinney said. "New merchandise brings in new customers." The organization's downtown Minneapolis rehab center gets all of the money generated at the new store. It's been quite a holiday-winter season for retail in Fridley: A new Goodwill store opened in …

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How Do You Like the New Salvation Army Store in Fridley?

It's the Midwest's only Salvation Army that only sells new merchandise.

New Fridley Salvation Army Store with Only New Merchandise Opens Saturday

Unique in Midwest, store takes place of former Brand Name Deals just north of Moore Lake and east of Hwy. 65. It joins Goodwill, which opened last month, in shaking up the Fridley retail scene.

Fridley has a brand new Salvation Army retail store where Brand Name Deals use to be. The store—open 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1000 E. Moore Lake Dr., just north of the Shorewood restaurant—is unlike any other the Salvation Army operates in the Midwest: All of the merchandise for sale is new. "It will be exciting," said Annette Bauer, community relations director at the Salvation Army's Northern Division, in an interview before the Christmas holiday season. Not only is the merchandise new, Bauer said—some of the products for sale have never even seen the inside of a store before, she said. You can still make donations of used items at the Salvation Army's new Fridley location, Bauer said. All proceeds from sales at the store…

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New Thrift-Shops for Fridley: Goodwill Opens Dec. 15, Salvation Army in Jan.

Goodwill's preview sale is Friday, Dec. 14.

There is an earthquake coming in Fridley's thrift-shop landscape. Goodwill/Easter Seals is opening a new retail store in the former Petco space next to the Home Depot next week. The store opens to the public on Dec. 15, 2012, with a preview opening on Dec. 14. The Salvation Army will open a new retail store in the former Brand Name Deals buildling just north of the Shorewood Bar and Grill in January. What are you looking forward to with these two stores coming to town? Leave a comment below.

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Updated: Digger Strikes Pipe; Gas Leak at 58th and 2-1/2 Street

Residents began returning to homes about 3:30 p.m.

UPDATED: Residents began returning to their homes at 3:30 p.m. Thursday after crews shut off high-pressure gas that had been leaking from of a punctured 12-inch pipe at 58th Avenue and 2-1/2 Street in Fridley. About 120 homes in the area have no gas service, according to Becca Virden, a CenterPoint Energy spokesperson. She said the company would be restoring service address by address this evening. Crews were able to shut off safety valves that stopped the flow of natural gas under 10 pounds of pressure, Virden said.  Police had evacuated residents within about a one-block radius of the leak-site, according to Lt. Mike Monsrud, after road construction caused the leak at about 11-11:30 a.m. Thursday. Residents at 25 addresses were evacuated…

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