A creative reuse center (CRC) can be a magical, creative haven--a place where one can wander, dig, and see what their mind imagines. It can also be a place of chaos and unpredictability. Part of the je ne sais quoi of reuse is that it’s hard to imagine the types of materials (and types of people, for that matter!) that will come your way.
While the CRC might include other features like a gallery, boutique, library or workshop space, the biggest chunk of square footage (and the bread and butter!) of most CRCs is the retail store. If you’ve ever worked in a retail environment, that experience is of course very valuable in training your customer service skills, but that’s about it. Imagine, if you will, walking into your nearest big box store to buy laundry detergent. First of all, you probably know right where it will be, in the aisle marked with “Laundry” or “Cleaning Supplies”. You arrive in the aisle to find 20 different choices - powder or liquid, this brand or that, spring fresh or lavender, stain fighting or color saving, etc. So, you choose exactly what you need and walk away a satisfied customer.
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