Habitat for Humanity Restore in Georgetown closing after more than 20 years

GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WCBD)–For more than two decades, the Habitat for Humanity Restore in Georgetown County has served the residents in the area by providing discounts on home necessities, but that will soon come to an end.

The Restore first came to Georgetown in the late 90s; it started small but was forced to expand due to the volume of donations and shoppers over the years. In 2017, the store moved into its current location on North Frasier Street, and business was good until the pandemic hit. 

“Since 2020, there has been a downward trend in some of the restore centers across the country. We have stayed strong through all that, and we have been working harder to promote our store to get the word out about who we are on social media to get people in the doors. Still, the reality of it’s just gone downhill,” said Jacob Rigopoulos, the Executive Director for Habitat Humanity of Georgetown.

Declining sales have driven the owners to shut down devastated longtime employees. The store is more than just a job; it’s part of Habitat for Humanity’s mission to give back to the community. And employees did just that.

“This is my baby. I took this place and transformed it into what it is now, and I poured my whole heart and soul into it.. to leave this place is like losing something important. I feel like I’m losing so much,” said Wendy Player, the store manager at the Habitat for Humanity of Georgetown.

Executives told News 2 that the dedicated employees and generous community have fueled the store through the years, making the decision even more difficult.

“We’re a big family, and it was a tough decision, especially since we work in a close-knit environment, to have something like this come up. Still, again, we felt like it was in the best interest of the habitat and the community of Georgetown.”

Officials said mega sales will occur on April 1, and the store will completely shut down on May 31. All items are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.