The shelves are stocked and the colorful fashions on the silver racks are ready to be thumbed through by treasure hunters. Starting Thursday, Sept 16 at 9 a.m., Goodwill Industries of Arkansas will provide area shoppers a bargain-filled and fun-filled weekend as they celebrate the grand opening of their new Goodwill store located in 5914 Highway 5 North in Bryant (located in the former Harvest Foods building).[more]
The new store will be the largest Goodwill store in the state and will be nothing like the usual public perception of a charity-based thrift store, according to Brian Itzkowitz, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Arkansas.
“It will have a separate book department that is specialized and set off from everything else. There will be free Wi-Fi Internet service and a coffee bar,” he said. “It is a good retail environment.”
Steve Terry, vice president for donated goods, said shoppers unfamiliar with Goodwill will be surprised by the quality of goods available.
“This opening of the Bryant store marks the continuation of our efforts to modernize our stores and provide a great retail shopping experience for our customers,” Terry said. “We feature shopping variety and quality products that were previously only found in traditional retail settings.
“I was looking through our merchandise, and there are designer outfits that sell for $300 to $500 when they are new, boutique jeans such as Citizens of Humanity, William Rast and Seven for all Mankind, children’s items from Polo and the Gap,” Terry said. “It is pretty exciting, the stuff you can find as you look through the store.”
Grand opening festivities, planned through Sunday, Sept. 19, will feature light refreshments for area residents, as well as great giveaways each day of the grand opening celebration, including the chance to win a 42” HD TV that will be given away on Sunday. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Goodwill attendants will gratefully accept donations of gently used items during these hours at the drive through donation center.
With Goodwill’s stores, donation centers and programs, it has created more than 300 jobs in the state and looks to create at least 100 more jobs over the next few years.
One of the ways Goodwill will do that is by opening a similar store in west Little Rock later this year where the former Circuit City was located.
“It is exciting to be involved in the economic development of this state,” Itzkowitz said. “We’re blessed with a community that really supports what we do. We are creating jobs and provide service to all of Arkansas. We are part of the solution, and we are investing in the community. We want people to see what we are doing and how well it works.”
Revenue generated from the sale of donated goods provides over 90 percent of Goodwill Industries of Arkansas budget for programs and services geared towards assisting Arkansans with disabilities and disadvantages train for and get good jobs.
More information can be found at the company’s website www.GoodwillAR.org or on Facebook.
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of providing education, training, and employment services for people with disabilities and other special needs. Revenue generated through the sale of reusable donated goods at Goodwill retail stores is used to fund these critical programs for Arkansans,
