Amor Zina (17) does some of his Christmas shopping in this store in Ås: – There are always exciting surprises here

Amór Zina
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BY THE COUNTER: Amór Zina (17) from Vinterbro often shops for clothes and other items at the secondhand store in Ås. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES: Amór Zina (17) from Vinterbro often shops for clothes, but also other things at the second-hand store in Ås. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

By Inger Eide Nordseth Updated: 18.12.21 19:00 Published: 18.12.21 18:53

Amór Zina from Vinterbro shops for clothes and does some of his Christmas shopping at NLM Gjenbruk in Ås. Clothes are what sell best in the store, says store manager Svein Christoffersen.

ÅS: There are many people in the store a week before Christmas. Amór Zina and his mother Sigen Zina (48) from Vinterbro are not alone in the shop. There is good traffic on a Tuesday in the middle of the day. Some customers look for clothes, others for books or furniture. The store in Ås is open four days a week.

The Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) now has 35 stores in Norway. The second-hand store in Ås is among the five largest in the chain. Svein Christoffersen from Askim is the store manager.

– Although we have barely 60% of our previous opening hours, we are at approximately the same level as before when it comes to turnover, says Christoffersen.

SERVICE: Many Christmas items have been selected now, but Amór Zina thought this Christmas service was nice. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

Can buy used Christmas gifts

Amór Zina is in the store as often as he can and always finds surprises in the shop. Whether it is clothes or decorative items.

– I think it's nice to look for clothes at second-hand stores. Then I don't have to buy new and it's sustainable as the clothes aren't thrown away, Zina explains.

– "Do you shop for Christmas gifts here as well?"

It depends on who I am shopping for. I can buy used Christmas gifts for my family because they are comfortable receiving used things. When it comes to larger things for my friends, I want to shop for new.

Even though it's starting to get picked over for Christmas gifts in the store, he has considered buying a little extra for Christmas.

– I have considered buying a Christmas service for us for Christmas, it looks very nice, says Amór.

SUPPORTING A GOOD CAUSE: Amór and Sigen Zina often find something in the store. – It is important to support the good work here, says Sigen Zina (48) from Vinterbro. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

Supporting a good cause

His mother Sigen Zina also likes to use the second-hand store in Ås. Today she has bought a bench, a bottle, and two new curtains.

– I always find something I want here and it's cheap. Also, it's important to support the good work they do. Then I support poor people in other parts of the world, says Zina.

Among the 35 stores of NLM Gjenbruk, the store in Ås is number five in turnover. 60 percent of the surplus goes on to the mission association's projects, mainly to Kenya, Tanzania, and other countries in Africa. It's about school and health, and environment within agriculture, to name a few. One project Svein mentions specifically is help for disabled children in Mongolia.

The expenses for the store's operation mainly involve rent and electricity.

Compensation for lockdown

Due to national regulations, they have had to keep closed for 9 weeks this year.

– For our part, this has led to approx. 550,000 in lost turnover, Christoffersen says.

In 2020, NLM Gjenbruk received good compensation for the lockdown. It is expected that something will come now at the end of the year for 2021 as well, but I am not familiar with the amount.

– The turnover with barely 10 months open in 2021 looks to be 2.75 million. This is approx. 8% higher than in 2020.

VOLUNTEERS: F.l. Turid Halset, Knapstad, Torhild Karinen, Knapstad, Berit-Johanne Straume, Oslo, and store manager Svein Christoffersen from Askim. They make up part of the Tuesday group. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

«Has everything, but not always»

– It's going very well here. I usually say as a joke "We have everything but not always". A lot goes in clothes and decorative items and Christmas goods now before Christmas, says Christoffersen.

The largest product group is clothing. Surplus clothes and textiles are packed down and sent to Poland when they have been in the store for a long time without being sold.

– Furniture is a somewhat declining group. A sofa often also takes up a larger part of the area than a suit. We have plans to expand textiles and clothes and shrink the department with furniture.

TAKING MORE CLOTHES INTO THE STORE: – Furniture is a declining product group. Now they want to expand the department with textiles and clothing. Photo: Inger Eide Nordseth

40 Volunteers

There are approx. 40 volunteer employees in the store. They are divided into a Tuesday group, Wednesday group, and Thursday group. The employees are from Ås, Oslo, Langhus, Ski, Knapstad, Spydeberg, and Askim.

– Today we are employees from Ås, Oslo, Langhus, Ski, and Knapstad, says Christoffersen. We had more from Ås before, but some have gotten older and have left the service.

He himself drives from Askim four days a week and has worked as a volunteer here for six years.

– "Are there pleasant people in Ås?"

– Yes, they are very nice. People also come from Vestby, Frogn, Nordre Follo, Oslo, and Indre Østfold here. Then we have a number of students from NMBU, Svein Christoffersen concludes.