DETROIT – The Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit flagship upscale resale store in Canton, Mich. will celebrate a successful first year this December. Last year, the Goodwill Canton store became the first resale store operated by Goodwill Industries in Southeast Michigan since 2000 and is the only resale store in the region solely dedicated to supporting programs helping unemployed Metro Detroiter earn jobs.
Located at 41937 Ford Road, the flagship store opened its doors at 9 a.m. on December 11, 2010 to hundreds of waiting customers from Canton and surrounding communities. The opening was one of the most successful ever for a Goodwill store in Michigan.
In its first year, the store has collected approximately 25,000 donations, served more than 70,000 customers and created 25 new jobs for Metro Detroiters, including several Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit program graduates. It is on pace to contribute around $800,000 this year to Goodwill’s mission to help Metro Detroiters overcome employment challenges through education, training, job placement and career assistance programs. Goodwill expects the Canton store to generate $1 million in annual revenue as soon as 2012.
To celebrate its first birthday, the flagship store will offer customers the chance to win up to 75 percent off purchase throughout December. Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit also will host several online contests each week throughout the month, including trivia, photo games and more on its Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodwillDetroit and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GoodwillDet. Participants in the online contests can win “Goodwill Bucks” redeemable for merchandise at the store.
“It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we first brought the upscale resale concept to Canton,” said Jeff Ukrainec, director of donated goods for Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. “We attribute this successful first year to the shopper experience we’ve created through the store’s interior design, our friendly Goodwill-trained workers and the availability of brand-name merchandise at prices well below retail. We’re grateful that shoppers and donors in the Canton area and throughout Metro Detroit have embraced our mission of putting our friends and neighbors back to work.”
Plans to bring a second upscale resale to Dearborn, Mich. are underway. The new store could open as soon as 2012.
Canton man named “Shopper of the Year”
Goodwill recognized Canton resident and owner of Studio 1 Salon, Bill Fedak, as “2011 Shopper of the Year” for supporting Goodwill’s mission through numerous purchases at the store. Fedak says the best deal he found at the Goodwill store in Canton was a nearly new solid cherry entertainment center he valued at more than $2,000. He purchased it for just $180.
Donations and more information
Individuals wishing to donate new or gently used clothing or other items to Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit may drop them off at the store in Canton (41937 Ford Road), at the organization’s Detroit headquarters (3111 Grand River), in Ann Arbor outside Sears at Briarwood Mall or call (313) 964-3900 for more information.
For details on store sales and other events, in addition to information on other opportunities to support Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit throughout the holiday season, visit the “Shop for Jobs” tab on the organization’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GoodwillDetroit. To follow the organization on Twitter, visit http://www.twitter.com/GoodwillDet.
About Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit
In 2011, Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit is celebrating its 90th anniversary. In just the past two years of the organization’s rich history, Goodwill Industries has placed more than 2,400 Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county individuals into new jobs and provided education, training and career assistance to thousands more in the region. Goodwill Industries is the only organization in Southeast Michigan solely dedicated to helping local individuals overcome challenges and secure employment. For information, visit http://www.goodwilldetroit.org.
