YES Northgate Pop-Up Shop

Anthony Pisano – YES Youth Coach

On Monday 5 February, the YES pop-up shop was in full effect at Northgate Shopping Centre in Glenorchy. This marked a substantial achievement for the young people both working at the shop and for those behind the scenes who’ve contributed in a myriad of ways.

This was also Stewart and Ellen’s first real foray into the world of retail experience.  Stewart, with a strong interest in retail and Ellen, the business-minded administrator, were set to make a powerful force of customer service. Months of preparation had gone into this moment and the expectations were high, along with Ellen and Stewart’s nerves.  Despite the excitement of the challenge, they excelled in every way!

Lots of laughs were had throughout the day as they interacted pleasantly with all the interesting customers who came to check out the YES team’s assortment of handmade goods. They achieved numerous sales throughout the day but the bigger challenge came when they were asked to describe the YES initiative and its purpose. It was interesting to hear what the participants thought of YES and being a part of it. From their perspective YES is all about equipping a young person with skills so that they can go out and achieve success in a field of work that they choose – not a bad description of our initiative.

Overall, Stewart and Ellen both surpassed any expectations that anyone had about their ability to run the YES pop-up shop. They each gained some valuable insights into what is involved with running a business of this sort and are both keen to continue on in the future. Watch this space for more updates on how our participants are progressing through the initiative.

The YES Northgate Shopping Centre pop-up will be open from Monday to Thursday until the end of March.