Whidbey Island Thrift Shop Tour starts Friday

Prices will drop as much as 25 percent storewide at some of the 10 not-for-profit Whidbey Island stores participating in this year’s Thrift Shop Tour, said Shawn Nowlin, community outreach coordinator for Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores. Other stores will deeply discount selected items during the event, to be held Sept. 18-19.

Prices will drop as much as 25 percent storewide at some of the 10 not-for-profit Whidbey Island stores participating in this year’s Thrift Shop Tour,  said Shawn Nowlin, community outreach coordinator for Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores. Other stores will deeply discount selected items during the event, to be held Sept. 18-19.

“It’s a lot of fun, a good opportunity for back-to-school savings and a chance to start buying winter clothing,” Nowlin said.

The tour will include stores from Clinton to Oak Harbor. Stores will hold drawings for local food and drink, as well as drawings for more expensive prizes such as overnight stays in Langley and Oak Harbor. “The idea is to build up the local economy, so people have to use us less,” Nowlin said.

The tour debuted last year, and participating stores felt “a huge impact,” she said. “People last year made it into a fun day trip. They had a great time.” The event will be advertised throughout the Puget Sound area.

The following stores will participate:

BaRC Re-Tail, 20018 State Highway 20, Coupeville; Community Thrift, 5518 Woodard Ave., Freeland; Good Cheer Thrift Store, 116 Anthes Ave., Langley; Good Cheer Two Thrift Store, State Highway 525 and Langley Road, Clinton; Habitat For Humanity Store, 592 Main Street, Freeland; and  Habitat For Humanity Store, 350 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor.

Also participating are Island Thrift, 600 SE Barrington Drive, Oak Harbor; Upscale Resale, 210 SE Pioneer Way, Suite 1, Oak Harbor; WAIF Thrift Store, 1660 Roberta Ave., Freeland; and WAIF Thrift Store, 50 NE Midway Boulevard, Oak Harbor.