Savers Thrift Store Gets Approval in Marlborough

A new thrift store is closer to opening in Marlborough as the City Council moved to approve a junk dealers license for a store front at 222A  East Main Street in the Post Road Plaza.

"Savers, if they are successful, will likely pump $1 million into and outside of that building," said City Councilor Donald Landers. "This might be quite an improvement to that shopping center."

The store will join CVS and Ocean State Job Lot in the plaza. Savers stores are thrift shops that partner with local charities to donate funds back into the community, according to the savers website. The store sells donated items. Clothing, furniture, books and other household items can be bought at Savers locations.

Glue boards and monitoring for bed bugs were a concern for the Public Service Committee, said Landers.

"I feel the customers and the city of Marlborough are well protected," he said.

Councilor Joseph Delano said he did not feel the store would be a great economic draw. He emphasized his concerns over possible bed bugs or lice.

"They're not a charity," he said of the organization before motioning to hold them to standards that included heat treating clothing, bedding and similar materials.

"We're trying to over-regulate business," said City Councilor Robert Seymour who said it is in the interest of the store to prevent bed bugs.

"We have a lot of second hand stores and we would have to impose it on them as well," said City Councilor Edward Clancy who opposed a motion to require heat treating clothing.

The motion to add heat treatment did not pass.

The hours of operation are planned at this time for 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. As part of the Junk Dealers license agreement, donations would only be accepted during business hours.