Reinventing Thrift Stores (Prada, Vitton at Denver Goodwill store)

[underpants]

Source: The Denver Channel

DENVER -- Prada, Louis Vuitton and other designer labels, spread out in a brightly lit store with fresh wood floors. If you didn’t see the blue and white sign outside you may not realize you are shopping at Goodwill.

Goodwill is on a mission to change its image and bring in first time shoppers. It is hoping to grab those customers in person and online.

Goodwill said it doesn't want to alienate its low-income shoppers. It just wants to branch out. To do so, the company is going online.

For now, Goodwill is teaming up with Dell to offer computer recycling. Customers can drop off unwanted computers at any of its locations. The computer will then be sent off to an authorized recycling dealer where the hard-drive will be shredded.

Read more: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19774169/detail.html

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West 25th Street in New York too
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/fashion/11goodwill.html?_r=1

A style-struck pair, Ms. Bello, a writer, and Mr. DePaolis, who has worked for Banana Republic, might have been haunting some Manhattan citadel of chic — Jeffrey in the meatpacking district or Barneys on Madison Avenue. In fact they were in Chelsea, spelunking for treasures at the Goodwill store on West 25th Street.

The 5,500-square-foot thrift outlet is a laboratory of sorts for Goodwill and its 2,200 stores around the country. Intent on sprucing up an image that conjures low-end castoffs and no-frills ambience, many Goodwill stores are courting the shoppers who scour high-end resale shops and department store sales racks for bargains.

Many Goodwill stores have increased the size of their sales floors to display goods more generously, Mr. Gibbons said, rather than turning them out jumble-sale-style. Shoppers expecting a traditional thrift store might be surprised to enter one of Goodwill’s free-standing “boutiques” in cities including Milwaukee; Palm Beach, Fla.; and Portland, Ore., which offer daily deliveries of donated designer goods and department store labels in the manner of a fast-fashion chain like H & M.

[zalinda]

1. Well, another store the poor

soon won't be able to shop at. The thrift stores around here sell a lot of their clothing for more than it costs at Walmart.

zalinda

[SoCalDem]

10. Most of our thrift shops have closed too.. They were horrible

One nearby, had a $200 price on a stained sofa..and everything was tossed around like a tornado had gone through it..

Better prices to be had at department stores when they have a sale..

[omega minimo]

2. "to display goods more generously, rather than turning them out jumble-sale-style."

To display exclusive goods more "generously" rather than the "jumble-sale-style" the crappy poor like. :spray:

[angrycarpenter]

3. I used to shop at the goodwill in west palm beach.

I had so many of last years designer clothes that I wore them to work, got paint and glue all over them, threw them away and bought more. I still have a gangster pinstripe I bought there for $15. It must have cost $1000 and fits like it was made for me.

[Toucano]

4. You could always find great items at thrift stores.

The media-types just never bothered to go there before.

My entire professional wardrobe out of college was thrift store based. I often received compliments from people who spent more on their lunch then I did on my suits.

[underpants]

8. I bought a $5 wall-clock 15 years ago

I've changed the battery twice. Still accurate to the second.

My wife hates it :bounce:

[Trajan]

5. The best Thrift Store ever ....

Savers, in South Boulder ....

Damn I loved that store ....

OK .... I have had limited exposure ....

[lonestarnot]

6. I wouldn't have that crap if the Goodwill gave it to me.

[alphafemale]

7. It's been nicked the GW Boutique for years now.

I pretty much only shop at Thrift stores except for undies. Just... Not.Going.There.

[Doremus]

9. They've been online for at least 5 years.

They've been culling the good stuff and overpricing the rest for longer than that.

They started on ebay then branched out with their own auction site several years ago.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/gallery.asp


Meanwhile the poor in need of basic necessities better get ready to pony up. Nothing's cheap at Goodwill anymore.

[spinbaby]

13. That perfectly describes what they do

They cull the good stuff and overprice the rest. I generally do much better in consignment shops around here.

[Vinca]

11. There is a Goodwill store about 10 miles from me. Rumor had it

the manager could barely close his garage doors at home because he brought home all the good stuff. He seems to be gone now, but I've never, ever found anything in that store which is very suspicious. Beware of designer handbags you run across - I've never found a real one in a thrift shop.

[Echo In Light]

12. GW/Salvation Army used to benefit the poor until mainstream a-holes began using thrift stores...

...to "dress down" and be "cool" like many of the people they harbor resentment against. Remember George Carlin's take on class definition in America: the poor are there to scare the shit outta the middle class, and keep em showing up at their jobs.

[dugaresa]

14. I find better deals at Marshalls

[Maine-ah]

15. I love our Goodwill

they have gotten so big that they're moving. I always find stuff there wicked cheap. I picked up a beautiful mother of pearl necklace with (fake) diamond accents that everybody always compliments me on for 2 bucks with matching earings all in original packaging. We have a TJ Max, which I swear must be the dumping ground for every other TJ's. I can never find anything there.

[B3Nut]

16. I often find neat stuff at the thrifts around here

though you don't see much good vintage stereo anymore, they cull that stuff and auction it online. I used to nab some cool receivers, I have a 1981 Onkyo above my desk I got for $15, works like new. I've nabbed great comforters, jeans, and polos...I always shop at them for shirts since they're already broken in and don't have all those abominable itchy stinky chemicals new fabric is polluted with...I *hate* new fabric!