INUVIK - There's a simple reason why Jolene Lennie shops at Next to New.

"Because the clothes are inexpensive and there's nothing wrong with them," she said.

Storm Machinine shows off some of the goods she bought at Next to New on Saturday afternoon. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photos

The mother of two young children, and a set of twins on the way, is just one of many who frequent the Berger Street location.

With the cost of living being what is in Inuvik, Lennie said "it just makes sense" to shop at the town-run secondhand store. What she and her family no longer need gets donated back to Next to New.

Step inside the store and you'll find mountains of clothes, new and used, as well as a vast range of quality goods, including household items, hockey equipment, shoes, and toys.

Rachel Kasook works and shops at Next to New. She works the Saturday shift and said the place is usually teeming with bargain hunters, especially ones from the surrounding communities.

"They have a ball here," she said.

You can't argue with the prices. For example, tops, pants and shoes are 50 cents each; jackets run for $2 to $3. Some of the town's less fortunate get vouchers, allowing them to choose items for free. The store is open every day except Sundays.

Everything in the store has been donated and the donation bins in front of the shop are always being filled, she said. With Inuvik having so many transient residents, people donate tons of items good as new and some of them, Kasook said, can be valuable.

Last Christmas, anonymous donors brought two truckloads full of neatly packed presents to be given away to children.

Storm Machinine, 12, spent some of last Saturday shopping at Next to New. By the time she concluded her visit she left with a quite a collection, including a set of fancy leather shoes, knee pads, a graduation cap, and a bell.

"If I bought these shoes at NorthMart I'm sure they'd cost $100," she said. "It's a great, cheap place to shop, and you have lots of fun too."