The Otago Community Hospice shop at 127 Vogel St recently celebrated five years since it opened.
The store had only 10 days of trading before the country went into its first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020.
Retail development manager Cat Callanan said although the store had needed to close, it was a great opportunity to tidy up and get organised.
"There was plenty of work to do."
As a store run by a health organisation, the team were very mindful of keeping staff and volunteers safe during the pandemic.
Since then, the shop gone from strength to strength and proved to be a popular location.
Before the pandemic, she had begun looking for a larger space to rent, Ms Callanan said.
When she visited the Vogel St site, the building was filled with office partitions, a very low ceiling and "horrible blue carpet".
By chance, she poked up a ceiling panel to see what was behind the false ceiling.
That prompted a "ta-da" moment when she saw light shining through and realised it could be opened up.
When the building was put up for sale, the Gordon Allen Foundation Trust, formerly the Otago Hospice Foundation Trust, bought it and conducted a range of renovations.
Removing the false ceiling revealed original factory skylights and additional windows were installed, resulting in a large, light-filled area.
Former university library shelving helped present second-hand items in the best possible way.
A bargain basement area allowed people to fill a bag with items for only $2, which helped with waste minimisation.
A separate bookshop area was also a popular destination, she said.
As well as a larger retail area, the building had plenty of room behind the scenes for staff and volunteers to work.
About 90 volunteers supported about 12 full-time equivalent staff by sorting items and working in the store.
All sorts of items were donated, Ms Callanan said.
"We get diamonds, gold — it is not that unusual.
"None of our other shops have the luxury of this much space ... we are incredibly lucky."
Otago Community Hospice shops raised two-thirds of the roughly $5million per year in community fundraising needed to keep the service free.
"It is great for everybody, people donating, customers reusing, good for the environment, circular economy.
"People feel good about giving stuff that they no longer need."
