LITTLE CURRENT—If at first life throws you a curve ball, dust yourself off, pick yourself up and start all over again. Barney’s Bargain Barn, the discount retail store that was forced to shut down when they, along with other tenants, had to vacate the building they occupied in on Little Current’s Vankoughnet Street East, have reopened on the site of the old RONA building at the other end of Vankoughnet Street East at Highway 540.
“That little mess cost us about $45,000,” said owner/manager/Pastor Rodney (Barney) Deforge. “It set us back a bit, but we are back.”
Although its focus is largely on serving those of somewhat limited means, the store is a for-profit business—sort of. The discount store serves as what is known as a social enterprise; a for-profit business whose profits serve a not-for-profit or charitable end. “Every cent is plowed back into our work,” said Pastor Deforge.
Sometimes, when life throws you a curve, the new pitch has a lot better potential for a home run. The new location offers up a much larger space than did the old building and it’s a far more visible spot. “We are still working on filling it up,” said Pastor Deforge. The plan is to start bringing in a lot of clothing, particularly for children. “We have some clothing now, but in about three weeks’ time we hope to have a lot more.”
The focus will remain on helping those who may be struggling on limited budgets.
“Our clientele base we serve is very low income,” he said. “These are people who are struggling and who are not necessarily all that fussy on the ‘best before date’ on the package.”
“It’s best before, not worst after,” quipped spouse Lynette Deforge. “Health Canada recommends six months after the ‘best before’ date.” There is often confusion between the meanings of ‘best before’ and ‘expiry’ dates. “Expiry date means that’s it; it’s expired,” said Mr. Deforge. “We follow that to the letter. But the best before date isn’t an expiry date. For those who can afford it, go ahead, get the best before merchandise. There are plenty of good quality stores around that can serve you well and you should support them. But if you have a limited food budget, if you need something nutritious to put in your kid’s lunches for school or to get you through the month, you come see us. We like to have things for kids’ lunches.”
Even though the prices may be rock bottom, Barney’s often drops the price even lower than cost. “If it puts lunch in school, we are all for that,” he said.
The non-profit end of the operation moves a very large amount of food. “We still pass out $7.2 million to food banks,” he said. “That’s why we have the for-profit store. Transportation isn’t cheap.”
Barney’s Bargain Barn is currently open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm and is located at 1 Vankoughnet Street East.
