Penn Closet reopens storefront on the bottom floor of Williams Hall

Penn Closet, the University's student-run thrift store, reopened after moving to the bottom floor of Williams Hall earlier last month. 

Penn Closet, previously located across from Williams Cafe, now occupies room 117. The space was previously used by Quaker Corner, another Penn Student Agencies business. 

Since its founding in 2018, Penn Closet has provided students with affordable second-hand clothing. The project, which began under Penn Sustainability’s Green Fund and PSA, is led and staffed by undergraduate and graduate students. Penn students and faculty can donate their used clothes, books, accessories, and decor to Penn Closet by dropping them off at the storefront.

“We are taking clothes and other items and repurposing them through selling [them] back to the community, rather than discarding clothes,” program manager of PSA Michael Warren said. 

Since its location change Penn Closet has reevaluated its inventory and is currently in the process of hiring new student staff members, such as a marketing and outreach manager. Penn Closet has also expressed a new goal to make prices more affordable with their reopening. 

Penn Closet plans to hold more pop-ups in the near future to engage with students and the Penn community outside of the storefront. During Penn’s annual Earth Week, Penn Closet will be stationed on College Green. They also plan to partner with different organizations to increase awareness among the Penn population.

“Penn Closet wants to keep thriving within the Penn community and hopefully will be able to expand through pop-up shops to grow exposure on campus,” Wharton sophomore and chief strategy officer of Penn Closet Shayan Shivji said.

Amidst the construction at College Hall, there are greater impediments for students trying to find the store. 

“The construction makes it harder to direct people to the new location,” College sophomore Nahomi Ruiz Mejia, director and manager of Penn Closet, said. With the main entrance to Williams Hall blocked off, Penn Closet is only accessible from Spruce Street. 

Penn Closet is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Donations are accepted 24 hours a day and throughout the week.