New ‘take what you want, pay what you want’ donation market prepares for grand opening in Calgary

CALGARY – A new Calgary thrift shop is bringing a unique spin to how people can donate — as a first of its kind concept where you leave what you want and pay what you want.

Good Neighbour Market’s grand opening is not until next weekend but for the past four weeks it’s been a busy site as Calgarians have been coming by to donate their unused goods.

“If you have the need and you require the items, you can just take it. You know, because everything is donated, Calgarians are donating with no strings attached so we’re giving it with no strings attached,” said Alice Lam with Good Neighbour Market.

The take what you want, pay what you want shop accepts everything from clothes to books, and it’s even a community pantry.

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They’re also part of the donation chain as they too are getting help from the community.

“The generosity of Calgarians has just been amazing for this project, the space, as you know, has been donated by the landlord, the electrician work, the plumbing work, the painting, everything has been donated by the whole company.”

The team at Good Neighbour’s hopes to be around for a long time but as the shop is a proof of concept, community support will determine its future.

“Honestly we’re just another store redirecting things that would’ve gone to landfills back into the local community,” said Lam. “There’s so much that we can reuse, so much that we can turn into something else.”

Lam hopes when they officially open on July 24, the shop’s uniqueness will keep donations coming.