New Goodwill store
Thrift store fans jammed Goodwill of Southern Nevada’s newest retail store and donation center Friday. Some sought bargains on secondhand items, while others donated “gently used goods” to de-clutter their homes and help others.
The store opened at the corner of South Fort Apache and West Flamingo roads with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is Goodwill’s ninth retail store in Southern Nevada and its first new operation in six years.
“We were able to do this at this time because we made some changes last year in how we operate, and we were able to work with some great developers who helped us finance the construction,” said Alyn Reeves, chief operating officer of Goodwill of Southern Nevada.
“We don’t want to put the money out if we can’t see an immediate return, and based on what we saw on the first day, we’re on our way to doing that,” added Reeves, who has worked for Goodwill in the U.S. and Canada for 17 years.
Before the store opened Friday, 150 people waited in line to get in. Within a half hour, more than 300 people had entered.
A drive-thru donation center opened on the south side of the building May 19, but shoppers couldn’t make purchases at the 12,000-square-foot store until Friday. So many people had donated goods that Reeves anticipated the store being well stocked despite the large opening crowd.
“It was still going strong (Friday afternoon), and we had our products already priced and ready to go to the sales floor,” he said. “Because of the great response at our donation center, we were able to replenish the shelves as quickly as people bought things.”
The store will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The drive-thru donation center will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Because of Goodwill’s nonprofit status, shoppers don’t pay sales tax on items they buy.
The new store also is a training location for Goodwill’s community-based training program, which uses real-world work environments to assess and develop work skills for people with disabilities. Thirty people were hired to staff the new center.
Proceeds from sales pay for Goodwill’s job-placement and training programs. Last year, the organization helped 1,255 local residents find jobs and provided services for more than 8,000 people.
The donation center accepts men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as housewares, electronics and furniture. The organization said it kept 14 million pounds of donated goods and recyclables out of landfills last year.