Storrage Inc., an app-based startup business specializing in valet self-storage services in Seattle, has partnered with Value Village, a Savers brand thrift retailer, to divert unwanted items away from landfills. Customers can use the Storrage app to schedule a pickup or delivery of items and earmark gently used clothing and household goods to be delivered as donations to a Value Village store.
Donations will be used to benefit the retailer’s Seattle-area nonprofit partners, including Northwest Center, an organization that works with children and adults with developmental disabilities; SightConnection, an outreach group that works with people suffering from vision loss; and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, according to a press release.
“Convenience is often times the No. 1 factor for people who donate clothing and household goods, and we continue to look for new ways to make the process easier,” said Ken Alterman, president and CEO of Savers.
The Value Village business model is to purchase, resell and recycle secondhand merchandise. The retailer diverts more than 650 million pounds of goods from landfills each year, company officials said. The partnership with Storrage adds a free, home pickup option for collecting donations, according to the release.
“We are focused on creating an ecosystem that makes it easier for people to care for their belongings, whether it’s through our unique storage solution or through partnerships like this with Value Village that remove barriers to the donation process,” said Terry Drayton, Storrage CEO.
Value Village is part of the Savers family of thrift stores. Savers operates nearly 340 retail locations and has 20,000 employees in Australia, Canada and the United States. The company partners with more than 150 nonprofit organizations and pays them for donated goods.
All aspects of the Storrage pickup and delivery service are managed through a mobile app available for free on Apple and Android devices. When the company receives a storage request, it delivers 17-gallon, commercial-grade containers in which customers store their items. Customers also have the option of taking photos with their smartphone, so they can remember exactly what they stored and request delivery of only the items they need. In February, the company announced plans to launch a franchise program that would expand its service outside of Washington.
