After nearly 16 years in business, Neighborhood Thrift in downtown Bloomington is closing its doors, with the store announcing on Facebook that Saturday will be the last day of business.
Owner Drew Barrett said the decision to close is multifaceted — his health has been declining, the economy is down and prices are up.
“I just think when you talk about comfort food, there's also comfort places,” Barrett said. “And I feel like Neighborhood Thrift has become one of those. Everyone's welcome, always. We try to treat everyone the same. We try to be friends with everyone that we can. And we also try to be able to give back to the community any opportunity we can.”
On the second-to-last day of the store being open, shoppers at the store shared their thoughts, including:
- “I like the serendipity of what you can find.”
- “I’m really upset, I’m not going to lie. I like it here.”
- “It's a real loss for the community, truly.”
Barrett said soon after the storefront closes, remaining inventory will be sold in online auctions.
