By Matthew Sims
Pakenham’s bargain hunters and renovators are encouraged to visit local Vinnies Stores to find a cheaper and more sustainable alternative when redecorating the home, as part of Vinnies’ new Dupe the Room campaign.
With the popularity of dupes or duplicates – cheaper versions of products found in lower-price stores – on the rise, Vinnies Stores are transforming their stores into destinations to buy quality pre-loved items and affordable new goods from its ‘Vinnies Own’ range – a range of products created to fill in the gaps of our donated items made up of brand-new basics for around the home.
The range consists of items for each room and each person around the house, including bed linen, wool blend doonas, pillows, face-washers, tea towels, bath towels, kitchen and pet products.
Vinnies Pakenham (Princes Highway) store manager Kim Ronaldson said the store had become a hub for good-quality homewares since opening last November.
“It’s a good place to sell and purchase things because we do sell brand new items like blankets, pillows and pet beds and blankets,” she said.
“Our prices are competitive and we’ve now flipped from our Winter season to our Summer season.
“We do have a good range of electrical goods as well and a good selection of homewares.”
Vinnies Shops head of merchandise and retail innovation Liz Randle said the new campaign encourages Vinnies customers to aim to redo key rooms in the home with the goal to create a look similar to what you could create using goods found in high-end retailers for a fraction of the cost.
“We love sharing tricks and hacks for around the home at Vinnies – and now we’re having even more fun, encouraging our customers to learn how to dupe their rooms to look like the elevated spaces seen on lifestyle shows, Instagram and magazines,” she said.
“What you’ll find in Vinnies Shops is eclectic and offers a wide range of items catering to many different looks for your home including mid-century modern, Scandi, Japandi and even art deco.
“Many of our customers are proud treasure hunters, finding distinctive items at Vinnies and turning them into truly stylish features in their own home, and they aren’t afraid to dive in to give certain items a face-lift with paint and polish, too – which can be so much fun along the way.”
Ms Randle said buying from Vinnies also allows customers to be more sustainable in their shopping, with a number of items being second or third-hand.
“Now that Spring has sprung, we know many people will be launching into action to clean and refresh their homes, and we really hope this campaign gives them some inspiration to consider Vinnies as a first
stop when restyling their spaces at home or work – and, of course, we always welcome quality donations and loyal shoppers as part of our Vinnies Shops community,” she said.
“We are proud of how our shops provide support for people experiencing hardship – everyone who walks through our doors can be certain they are contributing to a sustainable movement that puts community welfare first.”
For more information about the Dupe the Room campaign, visit www.vinnies.org.au/vic/vinnies-shops/dupe-the-room
