Unlike most businesses which have suffered because of the recession during the past year, the Economy Shop in Oak Park has seen more customers come through the door and had a recorded rise in sales.

The non-profit resale shop had a 10 percent increase in sales from Jan. to Dec. in 2009, said Georg Ann Zussman, who has been the vice president of volunteers for the past eight years.

“There is a constant stream of people coming to donate because they know we support the local charities,” Zussman said. “We’ve also gotten a lot of new customers within the last year.”

Zussman, a River Forest resident who has volunteered with the shop for more than 21 years, began visiting the store on a regular basis when she was on a diet. She continually bought clothes from the shop as she lost weight and donated her old clothes to the store.

The shop sells donated clothing, housewares, antiques, shoes, electronics, furniture, sewing and craft supplies and books.

The proceeds benefit six local charities including the Day Nursery of Oak Park and River Forest, the Children's Clinic, Thrive Counseling Center, Hephzibah Children's Association, Animal Care League and the Oak Park River Forest Senior Citizens' Center.

Each charity has a section in the 16-room Victorian house, but the profit from each sale is pooled together and divided among the organizations, said Cathy Lund who has been president of the Economy Shop for six years.

Sales have continued to increase despite the fact the shop stopped selling children’s apparel because of a federal law that required all products designed for children 12 and younger—including clothing and toys—be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.

Since testing the products would cost more than they are worth, the shop halted sales in the children’s department, Zussman said.

The shop was opened in 1919 by Caroline McCready and a group of women who were involved in various area non-profit groups decided to work together to fund the organizations through sales at the shop.

“It’s amazing how far ahead of their time they were,” Lund said.

Lund, an Oak Park resident who has volunteered at the store for more than 10 years, said the shop continues to draw regular customers and has begun attracting a younger clientele.

Lund attributed the uptick in business to the redesign of the store’s Web site and the lingering effect of the recession.

“Once we bring someone in they always come back,” Lund said. “It’s a unique sale shop, everyone gets along like a family.”

The store is open 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday for donations and has three sales a month, which require the help of more than 100 volunteers to label and sort the donations and assist customers, Lund said.

“Our goal is provide reasonably priced clothing for people who need it, recycle items and help people donate to a place where they know their donations are being used in a positive way to benefit the community,” Zussman said.

The Economy Shop will have a sale from 9 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 at the store, 103 S. Grove, Oak Park. For more information, go to www.economyshop.org.

By Katie Leimkuehler/Triblocal.com reporter