Where there’s a will . . . there’s a way: Goodwill power

By William Kenny

Times Staff Writer

Shopping at the old Goodwill at 2200 W. Passyunk Ave. must have been no bargain. And working there wasn't so hot, either.

According to the former store's manager, Yvonne Schmidt, the old building was in shambles. And no matter how much she and the staff tried to spruce the place up, it was always a losing battle.

Schmidt and the Goodwill folks don't have to worry about the old place anymore, though. A couple of weeks ago, they moved into a shiny, relatively new building in a vastly different neighborhood.

Goodwill opened its first Northeast Philadelphia location at Bustleton Avenue and Red Lion Road in a former Eckerd drugstore on Jan. 14.

"Originally, I was in South Philly on Passyunk Avenue, and the building was so deteriorated," said Schmidt, who supervises the new location and has worked with the non-profit Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey & Philadelphia for a decade.

"Our lease was up, and they found this place. … It was like a dream. It's like every holiday plus my birthday and the fireworks on the Fourth of July."

At less than a decade old, the former pharmacy has the contemporary appearance, layout and functionality needed and deserved by one of the nation's oldest and most recognizable charitable entities.

Founded in Boston in 1902 by a Methodist minister, Goodwill has always served the dual role of recycling used household goods while providing vocational services to those with special needs.

Now based in Rockville, Md., Goodwill Industries International is a network of 179 independent, autonomous member organizations, including the Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia entity, which has 19 retail stores of its own.

Yet, until the new Bustleton location opened, Goodwill had no presence in Northeast Philadelphia — the closest locations being two remaining South Philly stores, plus one in Bensalem, another in Warminster and a couple in Burlington County, N.J.

The Bensalem and Warminster stores actually are part of the Goodwill Keystone Area chapter and not among those in the South Jersey/Philadelphia group.

There used to be another store at Castor and Erie avenues, but it closed about three years ago.

Schmidt, an Overbrook native who now lives in South Philly, feared that moving to the Far Northeast might be like moving to a deserted planet. But she quickly saw otherwise.

"That's what I thought. Then when I drove up here, I was happy to see all of the shopping centers," she said. "(Also) everything in South Philly is concrete. Here, the streets are wide and you have trees and grass."

Business has proven to be fertile, too.

On opening day, 60 people were waiting outside for Schmidt to open the doors at 9 a.m. The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

"There were people coming in and out all day," Schmidt said.

On Day Two, all of the shop's cash registers lost power, but customers were patient enough to wait around until employees figured out how to re-route power from an operable wall outlet. The glitch since has been fixed.

Schmidt attributes the store's early popularity to the novelty of being new, its advantageous location and the economy.

ABC News in December reported that, while many large discount retailers like Walmart and Target have experienced sales declines or minimal increases in recent months, second-hand shops like Goodwill and the Salvation Army are seeing drastic upticks in profits and volume.

Meanwhile, negative public perceptions of thrift stores largely have shifted as difficult economic times have prompted many consumers to seek more affordable shopping alternatives.

"For people who can't afford high-end stores, the price is right for them, and it's good merchandise," Schmidt said.

The appearance of the Bustleton Avenue location can only help that public image.

Schmidt cites the polished stainless steel light fixtures, blue ceiling trim and blue flooring that complement Goodwill's iconic blue and white smiley face logo as well as the blue uniform tops that the store's 14 employees wear.

"It was meant for us," the manager said.

The 9,000-square-foot showroom is wide open with no walls or barriers to obstruct the views of customers or staff.

"It's good for customers to see the overhead signs so they know where to (find items). But we have a lot of people on the floor to direct you too," Schmidt said.

Parking is another big asset, especially compared to South Philly.

"A lot of people drive up here," Schmidt said.

The former pharmacy has a drive-through lane in the back to accept donations, as well as a kiosk that will print out receipts for donors so that they may claim the gifts as tax deductions.

Goodwill claims that 83 percent of proceeds from its thrift store operations internationally directly benefit its public service programming.

In Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, Goodwill provided employment training services to more than 1,400 people in fiscal 2009. Currently, it employs more than 700 area residents, including about 80 who have disabilities.

"We offer everything and our company puts people to work, people who could (otherwise) not get a job in the private sector because of their disabilities, whether they're physical or mental," Schmidt said.

Visit www.GoodwillNJ.org or call 1-856-439-0200 for information about Goodwill.

Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@bsmphilly.com