TUCKED away in a little white building on Great Northern Highway is an op-shop that has been feeling the pressure of cost-of-living as visitors have slowly disappeared at the shop.

Guild of St Richards Midland committee member Janet Hutchins said it’s the end of an era as the op-shop’s presence in Midland for more than 50 years comes to an end.

The current reality sits in stark contrast to when the shop first opened in October 1973 on Morrison Road as described by the late Guild of St Richards Midland co-founding member Elizabeth Herbert in her written history.

“People were queued up at the door long before (Guild of St Richards co-founder Betty Foulkes) and I arrived,” she said.

“The shop was packed with people squeezing past each other.

“By closing the stock was much depleted and Betty and I were exhausted but very happy with the results.”

In 2025, after having been in five locations in Midland during its time and making its last stand on Great Northern Highway, the Guild of St Richards op-shop is preparing to close permanently.

“Even looking at the ledgers, the amount we’ve been getting this year compared to last has been a big difference,” Ms Hutchins said.

“Rent has just gotten so high everywhere that there’s nowhere to go for us.”

When Echo News paid a visit, Ms Hutchins pointed at and assessed the outfit of the attending reporter to illustrate how the op-shop priced its donations.

“Shirt, pants, shoes and tie – all that would be $3.50 here,” she said.

“$1 for the shirt, $1 for the pants, $1 for the shoes and $0.50 for the tie.”

Ms Hutchins held up a brand new high-vis work shirt.

“$1 for this new shirt,” she said.

“Where else are you going to find a shirt like this at that price?

“We’re not about making a profit at a place like this, we make enough to cover rent and and then all the money goes to charities and donations.

“All of us are volunteers here or mutual obligation workers so we’re not in it to make money.”

Ms Hutchins said although the Great Northern Highway location would soon be demolished and developed into something else, she hoped it would have a last hurrah as new visitors came by to pick up some stock at bargain prices and support good causes.

“My mother had dementia, and my husband passed away from cancer, so I care about those things more, but we donate to all sorts of charities,” she said.

“(My coworker) donates her portion to DreamBuilders Care who help feed the homeless in Midland.

“Although we’re closing down, it’s good the owners are giving us a chance to trade-out and didn’t go, ‘You’ve got one month and then you’re out of here’.

“I can’t just sit down and retire so after this, I’m probably headed to the Salvation Army to help there.

“We’re aiming for September 30 to clear all the stock and pay for rent which is about $5000 but if we can sell all this, we’ll recoup it and the rest we’ll give it away.

“We still have regulars that come (to the Guild of St Richards) but what we need are new people for the final push.

“We’re not fancy but we’re cheap and that’s what we need in this economy.”