Fusion Thrift Shoppe expands in downtown Morinville

by Stephen Dafoe

A year and a half after opening, Fusion Thrift Shoppe is expanding in downtown Morinville. The non-profit store opened on Feb. 1, 2022, in the former Body Shop Fitness Centre. In that 4,000-square-foot location, the store offered a large selection of clothing, books, videos and a selection of household goods and knickknacks.

Eighteen months later, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, it opened its second location next door to CX Shooters in the former Free Press office.

Jocelyn Hansen, the manager of Fusion Thrift Shoppe, is also the executive director of Fusion 316 Incorporated, the charitable organization behind the store. Hansen said the volume of excellent donations prompted the expansion.

“We have so many donations that are just really awesome, nice quality good stuff,” Hansen said. “So, we thought, we need to be able to offer this to the community.”

Hansen and her volunteer staff thought that if the building next door ever became available, they’d have to consider looking into it. The building became available, and the Fusion Thrift Shoppe expansion moved forward.

“We’re going to give it a try and see if we can offer the community more clothes, more houseware,” Hansen said, noting that with winter coming soon, the additional space will allow for more clothing, notably bulky winter clothing in the original location, while housewares and other non-clothing items will be showcased and sold at the second store.

“This will just allow us to offer a better selection all the way around,” Hansen said, noting that with the one location, they did not have enough room to put out all the items they receive from the public. “We’re out of space, but we have enough inventory that we can fill two buildings. That’s what we’re going to try and do.”

Hansen attributes the success of the donations to donors’ love of supporting local, as well as the convenience of not having to drive to St. Albert or Edmonton.

“But it is also that people are really loving the charity and the work in the local community,” Hansen said. “They love to pour into that, and we get that kind of feedback all of the time. ‘Thank you for being in the community. Thanks for the service that it brings, and thanks that people can drop stuff off right in their own hometown.'”

Fusion works with Sturgeon Victim Services, Jessie’s House, local schools, and churches to ensure those needing assistance in clothing and housewares get what they need at no cost.

In addition to acting as a sorting centre for Jessie’s House donations, the shop works with schools and churches, providing vouchers that are distributed by schools and churches and redeemed at the store. Additionally, some of the profits have been put into the community through donations to the Morinville Community Library and some local hockey teams. Fusion Thrift Shoppe has also worked with groups and agencies as far away as Barrhead and Athabasca.

Fusion was started in Australia 60 years ago and is now in 20 or more countries, including Canada, for about 20 years.

The two stores operate Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fusion is a volunteer-run organization, and Hansen said they are looking for more volunteers to run the two locations. Those interested can drop into the store to learn more.