Mount Gambier op shops kept their doors open after hours for the annual Late Night Op Shopping event.
The initiative was held as part of national recycling week and supported by the City of Mount Gambier.
The op shops involved included ADRA, Lifeline, Churches of Christ, Vinnies, Anglican Belltower and the Salvation Army Thrift Shop.
Event organiser and Anglican Belltower Op Shop manager Trudy-Anne Doyle said she was pleased with how everything went on the evening.
“We just had people turning up in little groups all the time, so we really did have quite a healthy crowd come through and from that perspective it was great,” Ms Doyle said.
“I had a shopper that was in there quite early on and I was talking to her and she said that she absolutely loves the Late Night Op Shopping.”
Ms Doyle said Leanne Dunn, who works with her for the Recycled Runway event, hired a bus to take people to each of the op shops which included nibbles and a fun scavenger hunt.
Salvation Army Thrift Shop manager Shauna Wood said shoppers enjoyed the store being open late and they had lots of people through.
“It was amazing just like we thought it would be, lots of people, lots of new faces and I think a lot more people are addicted to thrifting,” Ms Wood said.
“It creates awareness of recycling and upcycling, what you can do to stop things going into landfill and just how cheap it is to op shop.
“If you have not had a go at op shopping, give it a go, make second-hand your first choice.”
ADRA Op Shop manager Marilyn Merrett said she was “extremely happy” with how everything went on the evening.
“We had a very good reaction from our customers and we look forward doing it again next year,” Ms Merrett said.
Ms Doyle said Late Night Op Shopping encouraged people to buy second-hand instead of new to help decrease the amount of waste into landfill.
“It has got to the stage where people are buying just too much and we just need to slow down and re-think,” she said.
“I really want to try to encourage younger people through and try to stop those bad habits from forming with the fact there is just no real room in landfill for any more and let’s try to just shop around with what we have got.
“Hopefully it will go ahead next year and we hope that it will gain community support again.”
Salvation Army Thrift Shop volunteer Ellen Alma enjoyed a sausage from the sausage sizzle at the Salvation Army Thrift Shop Late Night Op Shopping.
