Red Cross bookstore reopens in Palmerston North

Communications coordinator Dianne Bennett and branch president Adie Transom at the re-opening of the Red Cross Book Store in Palmerston North.

A popular Palmerston North book shop which raises a huge amount of money for charity is open again after closing down for months.

The Red Cross Book Store was forced to shut in March this year to make changes to the store layout to comply with Health and Safety regulations.

Branch president Adie Transom said it also gave the store a chance to refresh stocks and put in place new systems and safer shelving ahead of the grand re-opening earlier this week.

“It was time for a review,” she said, confident the new systems would future-proof the operation.

The shop has 88 volunteers. Some work front of house on the retail side, with more than 5000 books on display, while others work out the back helping sort more than 25,000 books and ready them for market.

The Red Cross also coordinates a massive annual book sale on King’s Birthday weekend, filling multiple auditoriums at the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North.

A huge amount of volunteers help to make the Red cross Bookstore in Palmerston North a success.

Transom said the shop and annual book sale helped raise more than $200,000 for the charitable organisation last year.

“It’s not just about money, there is a real focus on recycling and getting books into the community,” she said.

Communications coordinator Dianne Bennett said there was a range of books from new releases, to very old books that were written and published before the turn of 19th century.

Bennett said volunteers helped make the store what it was.

“There’s a lovely vibe,” she said.

The new shop opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10am-4pm, and Saturday 10am-1pm.

This week and next week, all customers will go into a draw to win a gift voucher worth $20 to be used instore, to be drawn October 12.