CAZENOVIA – In the past year, The Key in Cazenovia has undergone a number of changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and new leadership.

Located at 66 Albany St., The Key is a charitable consignment and donation shop founded in 1960 by the women of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Originally located in St. Peter’s parish hall, The Key relocated several times before moving to its current home on main street. The two-level shop offers a wide selection of clothing, footwear and household goods at a fraction of their original costs.

Profits from the store are used to issue grants to a variety of non-profit organizations, including CazCares, Vera House, Inc., and Interfaith Works.

Since 2005, the shop has partnered with the Cazenovia College Fashion Merchandising Program on a variety of projects and programs, including a month-long window styling competition.

The Key also provides community service opportunities for Cazenovia High School students and other interested individuals.

Executive Director Fairlie Firari stepped into her current position in March 2020 to replace Lorie Riedl, who served the director since Oct. 2018.

At the time of her hiring, Firari — who holds a PhD in education with a specialty in training and human performance improvement — was teaching as an assistant professor of communication studies at Onondaga Community College.

Two weeks after starting at The Key, the store shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During those three months. I worked while furloughed, for no salary, to renovate and implement many changes, including a new software program that has automated the store completely,” Firari said.

According to The Key’s 2020 annual report, the new ConsignPro software, which was installed on two new computers, generates valuable data that can be extracted to guide merchandising and sales decisions and help maximize operations and revenues.

“The new input and tagging processes have greatly improved the efficacy of pricing, selling, and tracking merchandise,” the report says.

During the closure, The Key staff and volunteers cleaned, painted, purged merchandise, installed Lexicon shields and HEPA filters, developed safety protocols, and rearranged the store in anticipation of compliance with the reopening guidelines issued by New York State and the Episcopal Diocese.

According to the annual report, one of the front doors was designated as an entrance and the other as an exit; a cashier desk was built and the cash register was moved from the back to the front of the store near the exit; the back desk is now used for consignment only; use of the back door was limited to employees and volunteers; a staff screening area was established; most rugs were removed from upstairs and downstairs; the children’s section was moved upstairs; six foot markers and directional arrows were placed on the floor to guide traffic; and the dressing rooms were temporarily closed.

On June 12, the store reopened with reduced hours and staff, 50 percent occupancy, closed dressing rooms, regular disinfecting, and hand sanitizer stations. Shoppers were provided enough room on the floor to socially distance, and all items were offered at sale prices. For the first few weeks, no consignments were accepted.

Since the “soft” reopening, The Key has changed its consignment rules with regard to what items are allowable and how they are accepted. Current consignment information is available on the store website, answering machine, Facebook, Instagram, and via email.

Firari said the store has become much more selective about the quality of the merchandise it sells, and that the staff is now working to help guide consignors regarding what shoppers are buying in order to help maximize their earning potential.

In November, The Key added an online store to its newly revamped website. Customers can shop quality and brand name clothing and receive free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

The Key has also made two new hires. In July, Abbey Thurston, a graduate of the Cazenovia College fashion program, was hired as a part-time social media and online store coordinator. Local resident and college student Savannah Johnson also joined the team as part-time assistant manager.

As of Jan. 29, the store had 18 volunteers, including nine Cazenovia High School students and two Cazenovia College students.

Since reopening, The Key has supported several community activities. The store displayed artwork for Cazenovia High School seniors during the school closure; hung flags and posters for National Refugee Day; displayed artwork for the Caz Artwork Group; held a window design contest for Cazenovia College fashion students; and donated sheets to Community Resources for Independent Seniors (CRIS) to make gowns, masks and scrubs.

“My vision, and what I was hired to do, is to move the store from being a thrift shop to being a self-sufficient consignment shop that earns enough revenues to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations,” Firari said. “The Key is an important ministry of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, created to serve the community in many ways. In a time when many second-hand stores are not reopening, The Key is doing very well. Excellent customer service, professionalism, safety, and strong consigner and donor relations are paramount to the new Key philosophy. Additionally, having a consistent social media presence and an online store help us create a competitive retail advantage and are a very big part of my vision.”

For more information on The Key, visit thekeyconsign.com or follow “The Key Cazenovia” on Instagram and Facebook.