The New to You Thrift Shop is living up to its name by reopening after an interior remodel. The Lancaster store raises money for nearby Antelope Valley Hospital, a public institution. The remodel was financed with donations from the hospital’s auxiliary organization. New to You now features a boutique section that carries high-end fashion accessories such as scarves and designer jeans as well as an enhanced furniture section. Jackie Davis, director of retail services for the hospital, said revenue generated by the store helps buy equipment such as respiratory machines and vein illuminators to help hospital staff draw blood. The shop has an average income of $10,000 to $13,000 and is staffed entirely by volunteers. Davis said the volunteers were one reason for the remodel, given that the only way for the store to show appreciation was to make them feel like they were working in a regular retail store. “The location is not in one of the best areas in the Valley and because we are fully dependent on our volunteers to run the store, we wanted to change the image so they felt they were working in an upscale store,” Davis said. “I wanted customers also to feel like they were shopping in a nice store even though they don’t have thousands of dollars in their pocket.” The remodel illustrates a larger trend of upgrades in the thrift-store industry. Vintage clothing has developed a following in fashion circles, making thrift-store merchandise more valuable. Craig Stone, vice president of retail operations for Goodwill Southern Califor-nia in Los Angeles, has tried to makes his stores cleaner, brighter and less cluttered. “We are upgrading stores to improve the overall shopping experience,” Stone said in an email to the Business Journal. “We are more than a place to shop or donate. You save money, repurpose goods that help the planet and support putting people with barriers back to work.” With the remodel, New to You expects a 25 percent increase in sales. “We are just so excited to see how well it does,” said Davis. – Nicole Pinto