Reinventing Resale

Just for the Health of it

SHOPPING THAT SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY

“Known for reinventing resale by blending and curating new items with thrift ones, Revivals has gained a reputation for discoverability and affordability,” says Steven Henke, Director of Brand Marketing for DAP Health. Health’s growth. As the health care organization opened its doors wider to welcome more of our neighbors into care, Revivals opened more locations to help fund the work.

Revivals stores are part of DAP Health. Both the retail outlets and health center have strong roots in the community. Revivals donates all its profits to DAP Health — more than $1,000,000 annually — so people who need health care can get it. “Revivals was early to innovate and remains the only thrift store in America with its own brand of affordable new furniture,”

Revivals donates all says Dane Koch, Director of its profits to DAP Health Retail for DAP Health. “We buy a different assortment for each store location to reflect the communities we serve.”

Revivals, like DAP Health, was born out of the need to support people living with HIV/AIDS. Its first store was a small space in the back of what was then Desert AIDS Project when it was located on Vella Road in Palm Springs. For 26 years, Revivals has kept pace with DAP About 70 percent of the merchandise at Revivals stores is resale, and 30 percent is new. The chain’s broad community of donors provides a steady supply of resale merchandise. Revivals also features the Mode Furniture brand of new furniture, lighting, and home decor.

“We are a resale store with resale prices, but we operate like a highend retailer,” adds Koch. “Our philosophy is that is that resale doesn’t need to be ugly, messy, or dirty. Every one of our stores is clean, organized, and shopper-friendly. That’s important.”

Revivals was early to innovate and remains the only thrift store in America with its own brand of affordable new furniture.

“Revivals stores are merchandised more like department stores so customers have an elevated shopping experience,” stresses Henke. “We have a unique vibe with broad appeal, from the budgetconscious to the most in-demand interior designers and fashion stylists in the valley. Even those in the film industry – costumers and set designers – can be found browsing and buying at our locations.” Award-winning designer Beau Stinnette of Foley & Stinnette Interior Design explains how he mixes Revivals finds into the spaces he creates. “Blending vintage with new is a unique way to make a statement where the design says more about my clients and the lives they have led up to now,” he says. “Often clients ask us to combine some of their more cherished items along with the newer collectibles that we have been curating together. And there are times when those items need to be found in order to finesse the look and smooth out the edges. One of my favorite treasure hunt stops is Revivals, where I might find vintage framed art, a colorful piece of glass, or an interesting mid-century lamp. The inventory is ever-changing at Revivals and always full of fun finds from the past and present.”

Fashion Stylist Neil Cohen loves using vintage and always finds something from Revivals. “Today it’s all about self-expression, fewer rules for men and women,” he says. “Great style is in ‘the mix.’” “There’s something interesting and idiosyncratic about vintage clothes, jewelry, and accessories. Like a book, the pieces hold stories that come from people having ‘lived’ a life through the years. Those fashion fairy tales spark my creative imagination when mixing pre-loved pieces with modern ones to create editorial stories. Going into Revivals always gives me a bit of a fashion thrill because I never know what I’ll discover. It’s simply the best place to uncover something uniquely chic, with a one-ofa-kind feeling that I’ll use tonight… or in two years.” — Fashion Stylist Patrick Lopaze

“A lot of people, come to Revivals because they want the real deal,” Henke says. “You know, they want that lamp from a certain era, or they want that sofa with the original fabric, or they want that jacket from a specific decade. But many people shop because Revivals is part of the circular economy. The magic really happens behind the scenes where our team of volunteers sorts, prices, and touches every donated item before it comes to our sales floor. Specialized teams work sorting books, vinyl records, jewelry, and clothing. We have our own lamp department that fixes broken items and a separate department that tests

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The mix of product tends to be reflective of the communities closest to that store. Every store has a different and unique mix of product.

every electronic item we put on the floor — fixing what they can.”

Shoppers want to find something unique and get it at the right price. “It’s the thrill of the hunt,” Henke continues. “As they scour Revivals’ shelves and clothing racks, people slowly make their way down Highway 111, stopping at each of the four stores.

“They might be looking for the fourth, missing glass to complete a collection. They may have found something that evokes a memory. Or maybe they see the perfect reading lamp for the living room. The hunt is different for each person.

“The mix of product tends to be reflective of the communities closest to that store. So every store has a different and unique mix of product and assortment. We like to say that our donors support the community they want to create.” Revivals’ new location – in Indio Plaza at the intersection of Monroe and Highway 111 – increases the retail chain’s reach to four stores.

The 18,000-square-foot store brings Revivals’ unique mix of products to east valley consumers for the first time. And desert residents and visitors get another location to find that soon-to-be heirloom or rare piece of merchandise they didn’t know they wanted.