CBNU reporters visited the first Beautiful Store located in Angukdong, Jongro-gu, Seoul. The store looked very cozy thanks to the monotone illumination. The donations were well arranged in the store.
 Some people do not know about Beautiful Store at all or they just think the store sells cheap stuffs. However, people who use the service more often know that Beautiful Store is equivalent to a treasure house. Also, this place gives people pleasure that they can help poor neighbors. CBNU reporters met Angels to ask about their experiences that they have had in Beautiful Store.
 

 Beautiful Store is a non-profit organization(NGO) based on the motto, ‘Make a beautiful world of sharing and circulation where everyone participates’. The store is ‘beautiful’ because it has practiced the sharing of its profits gained from donated goods. The profits are divided between the ‘Regular Profit Sharing Program’ and the ‘Special Profit Sharing Program’.

 ‘Regular Profit Sharing Program’ supports grass-root organizations and the neglected lower class in the surrounding areas of each store. Twice a year, anyone who needs help can apply to receive financial assistance. The committee for the profit sharing selects beneficiaries through an impartial judging process of each applicants’ circumstances.

 Beautiful Flea Market in Dduksum conducts the ‘Special Profit Sharing Program’, which is based on a program named ‘Beautiful Saturday’. It aims to reuse unnecessary goods. This market tries to create awareness that donations for other people is natural not special. Additionally, Beautiful Store is actively managing the fundraising project for international relief and support of poor people. The total profits from 2002 to 2010 were over 15.7 billion won.

 Anguk-Shop located in Jongno-gu was the 1st Beautiful Store. About 300 or 400 people visit there every day. The store sells many kinds of products such as clothes, dishware, books, stationery, home appliances and furniture. Beautiful Store sells donated goods at a low price. The average price of all products is 2,800 won. The cheap prices of the goods don't mean poor quality. All goods selling in Beautiful Store were repaired, and companies sometimes donate new goods.

 There are angels in Beautiful Store. People in the store are called ‘Angels of Purchase’, ‘Angels of Activity’ and ‘Angels of Donation’ according to their roles. Angels of Purchase refer to people who purchase goods in Beautiful Store. The meaning of their purchase is never simple. The purchase is precisely a driving force to practice sharing for people in need.

 Lee Soon-young, who is an Angel of Purchase, agreed to be interviewed. She said, “I visit Beautiful Store an average of four times a month. I patronize this store because of the burdenless price of goods. In addition, I often visit here because my money, which is spent to purchase goods, is used for the poor. I bought brand-name leather shoes for 3,500 won a few years ago. I am still wearing the shoes. Although the goods on display were used by other people, they are really clean.”

 Angels of Donation are the people who have voluntarily donated their unused products. The way to become an Angel of Donation is easy. First of all, people visit the Beautiful Store home page or call them at 1577-1113 to apply for the contribution. When people donate a small amount of goods, they can deliver them to Beautiful Store or a donation bank. When the size of the donation is larger than one apple box, people can use a free delivery service. When the amount is over three boxes, people can give their items to a Beautiful Store outlet. 

 Net Knot Center and Restoration Center are the head offices for Beautiful Store. The head offices are called the hearts of the store. All donated goods are classified, mended and sent to each store from these places. The names of each center were taken from the Spirit of Net Knot and the Spirit of Restoration. The Spirit of Net Knot regards relationship with sharing as important like a well-structured net of knots, and the Spirit of Restoration prolongs the lives of goods through reuse, sale and collection of products. The Spirits of Net Knot and Restoration are visions of Beautiful Store.

 Kim Jin-mi, who knew about Beautiful Store through a broadcast in 2004, donates once every six months. The store where she normally goes is Anguk-Shop. She said, “Beautiful Store uses the proceeds from the sales of items collected to help the needy. I have confidence in this NGO because I had direct experience with this process by buying goods and seeing people donate in the store. Accordingly, I decided to donate in the Beautiful Store.”

 When people donate goods to Beautiful Store, there are some warnings because this store won’t receive big or heavy things, broken things or used underwear. If you need more information, it is possible to check www.beautifulstore.org, which is the Beautiful Store home page.

 Volunteer service is called volunteer activity only in Beautiful Store because helping others escapes from the concept of service and changes oneself and the local community. Instead of part-timers, Angels of Activity are in the store. Angel of Activity means a volunteer who works in the shop regularly for 4 hours a week with a manager.

 Angels of Activity start to work an hour earlier than the opening time of Beautiful Store, 10:30 a.m. After that, they clean up the store and check and arrange goods. They also serve as clerks in the stalls; each stall sells one category of items such as clothes, shoes and kitchen appliances.

 Lee Ji-hye has worked with Beautiful Store for nine years as an Angel of Activity. She said,“I was very impressed that they donated a part of their earnings to the needy. I willingly started to volunteer listening to the news that a charity shop for recycling similar to Goodwill of America and Oxfam of Britain was formed in Korea. When I volunteer in Beautiful Store, I feel my inner beauty.”

 People who want to volunteer have to apply at Beautiful Store’s headquarters. The applicants can begin volunteer activity in this store after completion of a 6 hour special training. The special training course is divided into 2 steps. People learn about the meaning of service and the management style of Beautiful Store in the first step, and people are trained how to set prices and classify goods at the head office in the second course. After the short training, people can work for more than 4 hours a week in the stores, call centers for donations, and head offices.

 Beautiful Store contributes profits to rulnerable neighborhoods through the process of reuse and recycle. Furthermore, it is operated by the voluntary participation of citizens. Therefore, this store is trying to make a beautiful world where everyone is happy and confers favors on others. Hwang Hyeon-e, who is a manager of the Anguk-Shop, said, “Beautiful Store has been operating for 9 years, and next year will be the 10th anniversary. However, most people still think that this store sells just low-priced goods, and people usually don't know how the profits are used. I hope that many people will become involved with Beautiful Store.”