Together – sustainable – socio-economic

Here you can find second-hand items that are new and in good condition every day. And shopping at Horuck even does double good: on the one hand, resources are conserved and on the other hand, people are helped to integrate into the labour market.

Grandma’s old farmer’s chest, the vinyl records of the past or the collected gugelhupf moulds that no longer fit in the baking drawer. What some people no longer like, others enjoy all the more. ‚One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come up‘ sang Macklemore in his cult hit ‚Thrift Shop‘ for a reason. Since 1984, Horuck has been trading in good, used things that are donated to the social-economic enterprise. Here, customers can find furniture, books, electronics, crockery, toys and much more – everything you would find at a well-stocked flea market.

Sustainable shopping experience
In addition to the shopping experience, the focus at Horuck is also on the sustainable and social idea: good things are passed on here and good things are achieved. ‚We bring donated goods into the Reuse cycle,‚ says Martina Wolf-Kuntner, managing director of Horuck. ‚That means things are either refurbished for sale – in some cases also restored and repaired – or they are professionally recycled.‚ The intact pieces are then offered for sale in the flea market hall. ‚Buying things second-hand is even more socially accepted today than it was ten or twenty years ago. A change in thinking has taken place here. On the one hand, there is an increased awareness that buying second-hand items helps to save resources and live more sustainably. On the other hand, pieces that are ‚vintage‘ are absolutely in fashion,‚ Wolf-Kuntner knows. Those who follow Horuck on Facebook or Instagram are constantly informed about newly arrived treasures. ‚For us, it’s a great way to stay in touch with our supporters and customers. And it is a great pleasure and a huge encouragement for our work to experience so many nice reactions on our social media channels‘.

Donate, buy and create jobs
The donations of goods to Horuck finance jobs for people who have been looking in vain for work for some time. ‚Our social mission is to help job seekers who are particularly disadvantaged in the labour market to prepare for a new occupation,‚ explains Wolf-Kuntner. Temporary jobs, qualification and counselling are offered. The goal is successful (re)integration into the labour market and good conditions for the employees after their temporary employment with Horuck. In 2019, a total of 77 transit employees were offered employment with prospects. ‚People who find a job with us are often confronted with major challenges in their lives. We help them to sort these things out and cope with them‚, says Wolf-Kuntner. Employees at Horuck learn versatile skills in theory and practice that qualify them for the labour market and increase their job opportunities. They are guided by trained staff.

Versatile socio-economic company
Horuck is not only a flea market hall, where pieces are also always offered for sale ‚upcycled‘ in a creative way. The business additionally specialises in flat clearances, evictions and relocations. Donations of goods that cannot be delivered personally for resale are picked up by the transport teams. With the broad spectrum of economic services, Horuck, as a non-profit enterprise, finances the major part of all costs incurred for the operation’s maintenance – ‚But without our funding partners, supporters and loyal customers, we could not do what we do‚, Wolf-Kuntner emphasises – and this for more than 35 years. For so long, Horuck has been revitalising the city as a flourishing socio-economic enterprise and as a place of innovative ideas and courageous projects.

Further links:

• Ho&Ruck
• Second Hand Shops in Tirol

Horuck is a member of the Green Filming Tirol database Marketplace Tirol. There you will find products and services from regional and sustainable Tyrolean companies that can be useful for your film production.

Moreover, Horuck is a Tyrolean success story. Lebensraum Tirol Holding, in cooperation with its subsidiaries (Tirol Tourist Board, Standortagentur Tirol and Agrarmarketing Tirol), brings special companies, projects, initiatives and people before the curtain. What they all have in common is that they play a pioneering role and act as role models for sustainability and responsible business. They contribute to the sustainability of the Tyrolean economy, society and environment and encourage the dissemination of sustainable change concepts. You can find more success stories here (in German only).