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Not for profit online retail store a first for Australia
[Tue 06/12/2011 10:42:11]
 A boutique vintage and contemporary store – which started life as a bricks and mortar shop in Melbourne to provide financial support to an organisation helping women to obtain employment – is now online.
DearGladys.com.au is the first not for profit online retail store in Australia and sells fashion and homewares. The move to the internet is to take advantage of the opportunities e-commerce offers.
The physical store opened its doors in 2009 to support Fitted for Work, which provides free interview appropriate clothing, mentoring and transition to work programs. It has so far transformed the lives of 6,500 women. Recent research shows 75 per cent of participants were employed within three months of their visit.
Fitted for Work CEO Jane Hunt says the goals of Fitted for Work clients are much the same as those of the organisation itself.
“In the same way that we want sustainable employment for the women that we work with, we also want it for ourselves,” she says.
“Our goal is to continue to support the disadvantaged women of Australia and expand our services as much as possible. The success of DearGladys.com.au will help determine the future of our organisation.”
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