St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) has long been recognized for providing affordable goods and services to those in need through its network of thrift stores, offering opportunities for each location’s surrounding communities to shop and give back.
Every year, the SVdP organization delivers over $1.4 billion in aid to more than 4 million people. With nearly 400 conferences and councils nationwide, SVdP remains dedicated to its mission of compassion and service, creating an inclusive shopping experience that fosters both generosity and support.
We sat down with Jeffrey Beamguard, Store Support Director at St. Vincent de Paul’s National Store, to learn about his role and how Upright Labs helped transform their e-commerce operations. Leveraging over 30 years of experience in the thrift store business, Jeffrey oversees the national training stores, provides consulting services to other SVdP locations, and helps assess how each store can better serve its community. Recognizing an opportunity to improve the SVdP National Store’s online presence, Jeffrey chose Upright Labs as the solution. With the right technology, SVdP as a whole could better connect with customers and maximize the potential of their thrift store inventory.
Before implementing Upright Labs’ software solution Upright Lister and Monthly Growth Support (MGS) consulting services, Jeffrey noticed that many SVdP locations were not fully capitalizing on the potential of their e-commerce operations. After meeting with Upright Labs at an annual conference and learning that other locations had seen success with us, Jeffrey was intrigued. The opportunity to improve e-commerce led Jeffrey to pursue Upright Labs as a solution.
“It was all about timing for the National Store. As I traveled around the country doing assessments, I noticed some SVdP locations were doing e-commerce well but most were not doing it right in my opinion. I was at one of our annual meetings and ran into [a team member] from Upright who explained the program. I also found out that there were a couple of other SVdPs that were using Upright at that time also. Shortly after that meeting I got a call from a former employee that had been the E-commerce Manager at my former employer asking me if I had an opening. That is all it took to get the wheels rolling and start our new business.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Similar to many secondhand organizations making a jump into e-commerce, budget is always a consideration. Jeffrey discussed pricing models with Upright Labs and this allowed the SVdP National Store to choose the option that fit their needs best.
“Cost was my biggest concern in the beginning. I was given several options on how to start and we chose the one that fit us the best. We followed the recommendations by Upright as closely as possible.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Their SVdP followed Upright’s recommendations and saw immediate success. They generated $5,043 in their first full month and $7,963 in the second. This validated the success of their e-commerce transformation and set the stage for continued growth.
The implementation of Upright Labs’ tools began with setting up the necessary equipment. Despite initial space constraints, their SVdP and Upright Labs collaborated closely to create an efficient and optimized e-commerce area.
Our team provided tailored layout recommendations during one of their first Monthly Growth Support calls, transforming a challenging space into a productive and well-organized setup. Monthly Growth Support, part of Upright Labs’ consulting services, offers organizations day-to-day, strategic guidance on everything from optimizing workflows to scaling e-commerce operations for sustainable growth. This collaborative effort not only smoothed the transition but exceeded expectations, demonstrating their SVdP’s adaptability and commitment to growth.
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“We went to work ordering the necessary items to get started. We set up the area ourselves and it turned out better than expected. We had limited space and made it work.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
A key part of the transition involved hiring an E-Commerce Manager with strong experience. Jeffrey emphasized the importance of following Upright’s proven model step-by-step to him and he quickly found success, along with the rest of the team. Specifically, our barcode system allowed them to list items 50% faster than before, highlighting the efficiency and impact of this new approach.
“I told Jerry that he needed to follow the model by the book. He had different ideas at first to use some of his old methods and not follow the model. We talked and he agreed to give it a try. The other day he told me that he could list items 50% faster using Upright than he could before. The barcode system is one of the main advantages over his old system…What’s remarkable is how quickly the team adapted to the new system, even those with prior experience elsewhere…Our e-commerce success is a testament to [Upright’s] approach.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Since partnering with Upright Labs, the SVdP National Store has seen measurable success in three key areas:
The SVdP National Store reached $6.1k in sales by the third month. They also achieved eBay’s Top-Rated Seller status at the first available opportunity. With the new e-commerce strategy, Upright’s ongoing support, customer-focused listings that built trust, and professional customer service, their SVdP reached early success. This confirmed their hard work and dedication were effective and prompted the company to continue its focus on online sales.
“We achieved top-rated seller by creating detailed listings for customers to gain confidence in buying. We handle all customer questions quickly and with excellent customer service.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Upright Labs’ tools have had a positive impact on the SVdP team, boosting both morale and efficiency. They work more collaboratively and are motivated by visible sales results that foster a sense of achievement. The product guides through Monthly Growth Support have been helpful in their success in identifying the best items for e-commerce. Jerry even sorts inventory on weekends, sharing his findings and results with his eagerly awaiting team members.
“Jerry [from the SVdP e-commerce team] is a self-motivated individual. He works well with this supervisor and lets her know the type of items he is looking for. He even works the sorting table on the weekends to find items that he can post. Staff love to find items that he can post and he shares what those items sold for.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
With a lean team setup, every member’s contribution counts. The weekly reports from Upright Labs have been particularly valuable, giving the SVdP a clear overview of performance and allowing Jeffrey to quickly assess progress to ensure the e-commerce department is meeting its financial goals. This visibility has been key to maintaining focus and driving success.
“I needed the extra income eBay was going to give our store. I did not want to have the new department lose money. Jerry and I were both driven to get enough sales to cover our expenses as fast as possible. The weekly reports that I get showing how the week prior went is the perfect way for me to see at a glance how we are doing.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
The SVdP National Store’s e-commerce strategy has become more efficient since partnering with Upright Labs. Our tools, like the easy listing process and barcode system, have streamlined operations and improved sales. Detailed performance reports have provided valuable insights, allowing the SVdP to refine its approach and focus on high-impact products.
St. Vincent de Paul’s mission extends beyond e-commerce—it’s about providing for neighbors in need. While each location may have its unique focus, all are committed to giving back to their communities. The growth in online sales has raised awareness of SVdP’s work nationwide, connecting customers across the U.S. and increasing support for its community-driven initiatives. By generating additional revenue through e-commerce, SVdP organizations create sustainable funding to support their charitable programs. Whether it’s providing beds and mattresses for those in need like the SVdP National Store recently did or offering other critical resources, the more SVdP grows its online sales, the greater its impact is on local communities. As more locations embrace e-commerce, the collective impact grows to support those who need it most.
In addition, SVdP has formed a partnership with Goodwill, where discarded items are purchased for Goodwill’s pound stores, extending the lifecycle of donations. This collaboration maximizes the impact of every contribution, further advancing SVdP toward their mission.
“Our goal is to provide for our neighbors in need. While each SVdP may have a slightly different mission, all locations give back to the communities we live in. By expanding our e-commerce, we’re able to fund initiatives that provide essential training for new employees and managers from coast-to-coast. Having a training store for staff and board of director members shortens the learning curve. Those that come to the National Store are taught best practices and shown how to run a SVdP Thrift Store. SVdP is the best organization I have ever worked for. I love what I do and the people I work with.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Feedback from both their SVdP and Upright Labs has been essential in refining the organization’s e-commerce approach. By continuously adapting to product performance and testing new inventory, the SVdP has fine-tuned its online sales strategy. One key change involved training the sorting team to identify high-potential e-commerce products more efficiently, supported by Upright’s category analysis sigma report from our Monthly Growth Support team.
Regular feedback from Upright’s support team has also helped deepen product knowledge, allowing them to make more informed decisions about which items should go online and which should stay in-store. This ongoing process has been crucial to driving success in their e-commerce efforts.
“We’re always adjusting things based on what’s selling and experimenting with new items. One change was training our sorting team to quickly spot the best products for e-commerce. We also worked closely with the Upright support team to track what’s working and what’s not, which helped us build product knowledge and better understand which products should go online and which are better off staying in the store.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
Looking ahead, the St. Vincent de Paul National Store plans to use its successful e-commerce operations in Avondale, AZ as a model for other locations. The goal is to expand its reach further, with a second national store planned for Fairview Heights, IL, which will also serve as a training hub for other east coast locations. As the entire SVdP organization continues to grow, technology will play a key role in scaling operations, with Upright Labs providing the tools and support needed to streamline the setup process. Whether expanding to new stores like Fairview Heights or other locations, Upright’s systems will help ensure consistency and efficiency, enabling SVdP to replicate the success of its existing e-commerce operations.
“I want to see the e-commerce department be a model for other SVdP locations to come and see how it works. Long term I want to add e-commerce to the second national store in Fairview Heights, IL. This would also be a training location for those visitors closer to the midwest and east coast. I will also be using Upright for this new location. As the word gets out to other SVdP’s across the country, there will be more opportunity to grow the brand and do it the same way so no one has to reinvent the wheel.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
For other organizations in the SVdP network or similar nonprofits considering e-commerce solutions, Jeffrey advises a dedicated and well-resourced approach. He explains how e-commerce should not be viewed as a side project or a part-time effort—it requires commitment, proper planning, and the right team to make it work. Initial challenges are to be expected, however, the rewards are significant: increased revenue to support mission-driven initiatives and help those in need. Jeffrey notes that with Upright Labs as a partner, organizations can build a sustainable and scalable e-commerce operation that contributes to long-term success.
“Those that don’t want to follow the plan as close to the model as possible, risk it not working like they envisioned. This is not a part-time hobby as some locations tend to look at doing eBay. The program needs to be set up properly with enough resources to get it going and stay going. New locations can plan on a tough few months until the right person is hired to do the job. A trusted self-starter is needed to run the department. The reward is more income for their program to help those in need.”
Jeffrey Beamguard
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