Why Goodwill is Opening Two New Stores

More Goodwill in the Works

By Diane Hope

If you’re a fan of thrift shopping – or just find it satisfying to donate – there will soon be more venues for you to do that. Goodwill is opening not one but two new stores in Flagstaff. Store re-fitting is already underway at the former Albertsons in Flagstaff opposite Fry’s and the same will soon be happening at the former Barnes and Noble building on South Milton Road, where Goodwill recently outbid the bookstore for the lease. The inside of both buildings will be converted to meet the standard Goodwill floor plan and give shoppers a similar experience to entering other Goodwill stores.

Goodwill Arizona’s Director of Marketing and Communications Courtney Nelson says the non-profit has had a lot of success in the Flagstaff market in the last few years, in step with a nationwide growth in the thrifting industry. Nelson attributes this trend to people needing to be more thrifty during the pandemic, along with an increasing appreciation by Generation Z-ers for the uniqueness and sustainability offered by thrifting. Goodwill recently opened new stores in several other locations across the state, including a third store in the Quad Cities.

Statewide, Goodwill resells or recycles 200 million pounds of donated items every year, keeping them out of Arizona’s landfills. Across the U.S., Goodwill Industries’ 3,300 stores divert around 4.6 billion pounds of reusable goods from landfills annually. That’s still just 6% or so of the textiles, furniture and other durable goods Americans toss out annually, so Nelson urges people to donate – even if items are ripped or stained. Nelson explains that everything donated is reviewed, and while only around half of items or less make it to the sales floor, the rest goes to salvage vendors for repurposing into everything from insulation products to sports courts surfaces.

Goodwill’s policy is for 99% of resaleable-quality donated goods to be sold at the donation store. However, Goodwill has become much savvier about marketing vintage, collectible and high-end items, creaming off selected premium items to be sold online including via shopgoodwill. com. Both new Flagstaff locations will be like the existing one on east Route 66. The former “weigh-andpay” outlet on West Route 66 is now closed for good. Goodwill also has no plans to reopen its stores’ changing rooms, which were closed during the pandemic. Nelson cites staffing shortages as a major reason for this.

Goodwill uses its revenues in part to fund its Career Centers. The existing one at Flagstaff’s eastside store sees between 18 and 25 job seekers daily. Staff members provide a variety of job skills programs, including a Digital Literacy Training program and financial literacy. It teaches how to communicate during conflict, give presentations and dress professionally. Classes are open to anyone wanting to build skills and improve their job prospects. Goodwill also runs a virtual site, mycareeradvisor.com,

A Goodwill Store and Donation Center will fill the former Albertsons space on East Route 66. Photo by Diane Hope

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