Updated March 26, 2025 at 12:12 p.m.
The nonprofit Fretail Store, which provides free clothes and other essentials, at the Lansing Mall is set to close at the end of March, while the future of its sister organization is uncertain.
The Capital Area Diaper Bank, which operates in the same space as the Fretail Store and under the same umbrella nonprofit, is looking for a new location. Both declined to renew their lease with the Lansing Mall, citing increased rent and other costs.
While both organizations are affected, the diaper bank’s director Linda Karl says finding a new space for free diaper distribution is the chief concern.
“Because I have a whole lot of babies … from preemie to size 8 that need diapers,” she said.
Karl says the diaper bank distributed more than 350,000 free diapers last year to families and community agencies throughout the region.
“Even though we service Ingham, Eaton, Clinton and Shiawassee Counties, three fourths of the people we serve and the agencies we help are in Ingham County,” she said. “Until the other diaper banks can find somebody to give them diapers, that's going to hurt them too, and there will be fewer diapers in our community.”
Karl says even with the closing of the Freetail Store, people may be able to find affordable clothes elsewhere, but finding free diapers would be much more difficult.
She says if they can get the diaper bank up and running in a new location, they may eventually be able to bring back the Fretail Store as well.
The Fretail Store is set to close on March 31.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.