This one's not ‘your grandma's Goodwill'

The popularity of recycling used goods, coupled with an economic need to bargain- shop, is turning into a boon for Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs, which will open its new Colorado Springs store on Saturday.

The $7 million Circle Retail Center, 2007 S. Circle Drive, replaces the aging downtown Goodwill outlet, a familiar fixture at the southwest corner of Pikes Peak and Wahsatch avenues for three decades.

The new store is Goodwill's ninth retail location in Colorado. The stores partially support Goodwill's mission of helping people with disabilities and those on welfare gain independence.

The bright, airy environment has many extras that older stores simply haven't had, prompting Goodwill spokeswoman Melissa Lyby to say that it's "no longer your grandma's Goodwill."

There's a coffee shop in the book section featuring Goodwill's signature java blend.

There's a double drive-through for donation drop-offs, and donors will be given free water, lollipops and - if they have a furry passenger along - dog biscuits.

The store also has energy-saving heating and lighting elements and a first-ever feature for a Colorado Goodwill store: a 900-square-foot clothing corner for teens called Threads.
It will be staffed by teens from New Horizons High School, an alternative school in Harrison District 2.

Six students have been hired to work in the department, and several of them painted a diversity-themed mural on a wall in the area that also has exposed ductwork and an industrial look.

"This is really nice," said Goodwill fan Judy Diaz, peering into the windows of the 26,500-square-foot store Thursday in anticipation of Saturday's opening. "It looks so much better than the old one."

The store opens at a time when the economic downturn has helped boost retail sales at Goodwill shops this year by 8 percent over last year's sales of $13 million, Lyby said.

The retail outlets provide about a third of the revenue for the nonprofit organization's budget. Contract work that clients do and rehabilitation fees from clients supply the remainder.

Donations this year are holding steady, Lyby said, and not lagging much behind last year's totals.

"We need our stores to do well to support our mission, so we try to make them appealing to shoppers and donors," Lyby said.

Last year, Goodwill helped more than 4,000 welfare recipients find jobs in the community and provided more than 339,000 services, ranging from job search assistance to adult day-care services to employment for the disabled.

A decline in customers and sales led Goodwill to sell the downtown store and lease it back from a local developer until mid-November, when about 40 employees began work to open Goodwill's latest store.

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Contact the writer: 636-0235 or debbie.kelley@gazette.com