I'll start with the easy ones. I respect the off limits area. I may look longingly in that direction and ask the manager when a certain item might possibly be available for sale. There is nothing wrong with a polite inquiry. I will even mention to the sales staff that I am looking for a specific item, would they take my number and call me should they see something I should look at. Some stores will do it, Goodwill will not. I do not take it out on any employee for following the rules. If their words are rude or foul, I will mention it to the manager and no longer deal with that employee.
As for the woman with nowhere else to go, try starting up a conversation, even if she does not speak English well. Use a friendly tone. Pay attention to what she buys, likes to look at, find out her interests. Maybe you will find other events she may be interested in and can help her find other places to spend her day. For me it would be the library or a craft store or some museum displays, concerts in the park, OK- so I have a lot of interests. If the woman is not hurting anything, making a mess, bothering other customers, I would feel sorry for her. I would try to befriend her.
If you know someone who may speak her language, invite them to the store one day (you know she will be there!) and ask them to strike up a conversation and get a bit more of her story. As much as I love to thrift, several hours in one store many days a week seems a lot. It sounds like she has nowhere else to go. On the other hand, take it as a compliment to your store. She feels safe there.
That's all good advise. The food bank thrift and one of the Sal Armys has the employee area curtained off with a sign saying "Employees only" you can't even see in the the back, that pretty much eliminates any problems. The other Sal Army leaves their area open but I've never seen any one disrespect their boundries so I guess it is not a problem for them. I too have politely inquired about an item in the back room, once it was a Kitchenaid stand mixer (I would have been crazy not to inquire about that- didn't get it though). As long as you do it nicely they don't seem to mind, but if I felt it was a bother I wouldn't do it.
The downside of your promotion is having to make decisions like the one you mentioned with the all day shopper. I am not sure if I would bother to tell her to leave if she keeps to herself, but having the kids in the store all day must present problems.
If you know what language she speaks you may want to try to contact a church or social service organization that has some flyers of programs for her or the kids that are printed in her language and put them up in the store.
