The Street Store – ‘The world’s first ‘pop-up store’ for the poor’

When two talented people working in advertising decide to escape their comfort zone to create a new concept of shop, this is the story of The Street Store! Launched in January 2014, these shops bring together the haves and the have nots in a public space: the haves can donate their clothing and the have nots can shop for free! It is a way to give a choice for people who never have choice in their everyday life. Today, everybody in the world can create its own Street Store and restore dignity in its community. Interview with Kayli Levitan, co-founder of The Street Store.

Why The Street Store was created at the beginning of this year?

Kayli Levitan, co-founder of The Street Store: Every day, with Max we sit on an office balcony and see the haves and the have nots cross each other paths, but they never actually meet. We don’t like to call people rich and poor, because we live and work in a rich area but we are not rich. But at the end of the day, we still have a lot more than the homeless. What we wanted to do is to bring people together, so that they could learn from one another. We thought we could do something small that could create a big impact.

‘We thought we could do something small that could create a big impact.’

… and everything is open-source?

All our files are available online, because we can’t go all over the world to open Street Stores, but we are able to get people to do it for us just by making it open-source. Everyone can go online, download our files and host The Street Store in their community.

‘Everyone can go online, download our files and host The Street Store in their community.’

How many people organized a Street Store?

The initiative is very new: we have only started on the 14th of January 2014! So far, we have done 5 in Cape Town, a few in Joburg, and then from Vancouver to Brussels, to Brazil, to California… They have started popping up all over the world. In total 280 people have signed up to open a Street Store in their community.

Could you give three words to describe the spirit of The Street Store?

Hope, dignity, and generosity!

What was the biggest challenge for the organization since the 14th of January?

Our biggest challenge was before the 14th, when we were planning how we are going to make it happen! We were so scared that it won’t work, that no one will come. The communities have been really generous, helpful, and positive… not only in South Africa, but also globally.

How does it work exactly?

The Street Store is made up of a series of 5 interactive posters. You can download them online on www.thestreetstore.org, put them up in a public area where the haves and the have nots frequently meet. The haves can donate their clothing through these interactive posters, and the have nots can come through the store and shop for an outfit. We say shop, but it is for free. They can choose 3 items and some accessories. For people that can’t choose where to sleep, what to eat and what to wear, at least we are giving them choice for the first time in a few years.

‘The Street Store is made up of a series of 5 interactive posters. […] The haves can donate their clothing through these interactive posters, and the have nots can come through the store and shop for an outfit.’

How do you see the evolution of The Street Store in the next years?

The Street Store is still growing. Every day we get requests from around the world from people wanting to host their own. We hope it never stops!

‘Every day we get requests from around the world from people wanting to host their own. We hope it never stops!’

Today a lot of young South Africans want to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure to improve society. Do you have a piece of advice for them?

If you have something that you want to do, it doesn’t matter who you are and what you meant to do… it doesn’t matter what you day job is! We decided to create something different and to escape our comfort zone, and we just did it.

‘If you have something that you want to do, it doesn’t matter who you are and what you meant to do… it doesn’t matter what you day job is!’