SALT LAKE CITY — Eight Deseret Industries locations along the Wasatch Front opened up Friday for the first time in months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Doors opened at 10:00 a.m.
At the Sandy store, a line of cars wrapped around the building for people trying to donate and a line of people wrapped around the building for people trying to look for a good deal.
"I was here when the day before they closed up the store, and there was some stuff on the shelves I didn’t have money to get at the time so I’m coming back. I hope it’s still here!," shopper Brandon McDannald said. "I always get some good deals here!"
DI has been closed since March -- basically the entire spring.
That's usually the busiest time of the year because so many people do spring cleaning in their homes and yards.
Now they expect it to be even busier because people have been spending so much time at home that they have a good idea about what should stay and what can go.
"Kids toys, I’ve got clothes for two years that haven’t been worn by anybody, a dresser,' said Justin Goff who was dropping off items. "I mean, a small house pretty much!"
Fortunately the people who work at DI haven't had to bear the economic hardships that have impacted so many others.
"We were able to continue to pay our staff and associates," said Justin Hansen, Director of Employment Services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Very grateful that was able to happen."
Several changes to help with social distancing and to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus have been made. The biggest change is that people who want to donate items are now asked to make an appointment online.
- Visit deseretindustries.org/reopen to schedule a time.
- Donations of mattresses and box springs are no longer accepted. See a full list of prohibited items at deseretindustries.org/donate.
- Deseret Industries will quarantine donations. This will limit the number of items that can be accepted during the initial reopening period.
- Donation drop-off operations may close early because of increased demand and the time required to quarantine each donation.
- Donors are asked to wait in their vehicle until it is their turn to donate. Once they have reached the drop-off area, donors can remove items from their car and place them in the designated bins or carts.
- Donors are encouraged to wear masks.
Several in store measures will also be in effect.
- The number of people in each store will be limited to allow for proper social distancing.
- All associates and staff will wear gloves and masks. Shoppers are encouraged to wear masks.
- Carts will be sanitized between customers.
- Stores will be cleaned more frequently.
- Signage and floor stickers will help customers and staff follow social distancing guidelines.
- Fitting rooms, restrooms, and drinking fountains will be temporarily closed.
- The sales floor will be restocked only while the store is closed.
- Customers should avoid sitting on furniture or loitering.
DI locations opening Friday June 5:
- American Fork
- Centerville
- Harrisville
- Layton
- Sandy
- Springville
- Sugarhouse
- West Jordan
Some Utah locations have already opened and all locations are expected to be open by June 9.
For a schedule of openings in Utah and six other states, click here.
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