Online marketplace Trade Me has launched its Kindness Store a bit earlier than usual this year with the aim of supporting families in need during the coronavirus crisis.

The Kindness Store, which the online retailer usually opens during the Christmas holidays, will this year help support Women’s Refuge, Red Cross, City Mission (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch), Age Concern, Variety – the Children’s Charity and The Salvation Army during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kiwis can jump onto the store, pick any item and pay for it, and Trade Me will take care of the rest and make sure donations reach the people who need them.  

Logan Mudge, Trade Me spokesperson, said COVID-19 has been tough for everyone, but that charities have been hit particularly hard.

“These organisations do incredible work at the best of times and with all the added challenges of COVID-19, we want to do everything we can to support them during this time.”

Trade Me’s Kindness Store is a curated page on the site that allows Kiwis to buy things that charities need.

The online marketplace usually runs the store at Christmas but the company said it has opened it now “following the extraordinary change that Kiwi charities have seen as a result of COVID-19”.

Mudge said the marketplace worked closely with the charities to find out what items they need most.

“Access to food is a big one. All these organisations are reliant on donations, which have dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and 4.”

Women’s Refuge CEO Dr Ang Jury said the organisation appreciated Trade Me’s support during this time.

“We are in unprecedented times with many obstacles, and we are relying on the goodwill of Kiwis more than ever to help us meet the needs of the women and children who require our services.”