Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia

«Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.»
― Mahatma Gandhi
I am a regular at the original Goodwill (GW) on N. Main Street, and I am sure I will be one at this new location as well. I’d been waiting for the grand opening, so I was surprised to see it open yesterday as I drove by. I was really surprised when I saw the parking lot was full and the store was crazy busy inside. I have never seen the other location this busy before – not even close!
The Good:
I love thrift stores; I am a huge proponent of recycling, even with clothing. Before buying new items, I check out my local GW. It saves me money and it helps the environment.
This new store is large, clean and has a good selection. Clothing is separated by colors and items (e.g., short-​sleeve, long-​sleeve, pants, shorts). They also have toys, books, household items, furniture, etc. I love that they have 50% off color days. All of the clothes have a colored plastic tag. When you walk in the door, check out to see the color of the day.
The Bad:
The prices at GW are high compared to most other thrift stores. If you only buy 50% off color of the day items, it’s a good value.
And the Ugly:
I don’t really like GW, and if there was another thrift store close to my home, I would avoid them. Why? Well, GW is a «charitable» non-​profit company, but GW is a joke. The CEOs of GW are extremely well-​paid, while some of their employees receive less than minimum wage*. They get tons of money from the government and do not pay taxes. If you’re going to Goodwill thinking that you’re helping out this «charity,» you would be wrong.
Many times at the checkout, they ask if I want to round up to the nearest dollar to «help.» Yeah, I don’t think so. Just another way to get your money.
This is a nice store, albeit a bit pricey. If you’re in the area and want to shop, by all means – I will probably be there often! Just keep in mind that GW really isn’t a good choice as a charity. Also, this location now has a drive-​thru donation center, and is much easier than the last location. However, if you would like to donate items to a local charity instead (and I would strongly recommend that idea), check out the link below.**
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