Business & Tech

Dearborn Goodwill Store Transforming Lives of Local Residents

The retail store resells donated clothes and provides employment for dozens of workers in Metro Detroit.

The average customer doesn't think about the larger ramifications of dozens of empty parking spaces in shopping centers. But for business owners in Dearborn, the empty spaces represent minimal profits.

Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit is hoping to change that.

Six months after opening its location at 22451 Michigan Ave., the resale company is breathing new life into a 15,000 square-foot retail space and transforming a once vacant storefront into a bustling center for commerce.

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"Business has been phenomenal," Jeff Ukrainec, director of donated goods for Goodwill said. "Everyone who has come in here has thanked us for being part of the community and for our persistence with opening a location in Dearborn. I think we fill a need in the city to give people an opportunity to donate as well as shop."

The location is the first resale store operated by Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit in the Dearborn area and the second in Metro Detroit, including its flagship store that opened in Canton in 2010. The store sells everything from gently used men's and women's clothing and clothing accessories, to small appliances, books, movies, and housewares.

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"Customers can find great deals on high quality merchandise in a setting that feels more like an upscale department store than a traditional resale shop," Ukrainec said.

Proceeds from the store help fund Detroit-area job training, education and placement programs for local residents.

"Our Dearborn store continues to support Goodwill’s mission of creating jobs," Ukrainec said. "This location alone has brought 25 jobs to the community."

One of those jobs went to the store's assistant manager, Rick Hastie.

Hastie turned to Goodwill for employment assistance after being laid off from a 12-year career in the steel industry. Hastie joined the Goodwill Moving Men and Women to Economic Independence program.

“I didn’t know where to turn after I lost my job,” Hastie said. “I thought my skills and my experience only applied to the steel industry and almost gave up hope. Goodwill gave me the training and support I needed to earn this new opportunity.”

Despite its growth, the road to success was a bumpy one, Mark Lane, director of public relations and special events said.

"Substantial challenges to our success revolved around awareness. On one hand, Goodwill is a highly recognizable nonprofit brand name in Metro Detroit. On the other hand, some expressed concerns that a traditional resale store did not align with the desired image of the community and that it might negatively affect other businesses in the area," he said.

"Changing these perceptions to help shoppers, donors, residents and neighbors understand the 'upscale resale' experience proved to be the biggest hurdle throughout the approval process," Lane added.

Unlike traditional resales shops, donations to Goodwill go through a rigorous screening process.

"Nothing that is stained or tattered ends up on our shelves," Lane said. "All donations are inspected, and anything that we can't use we recycle. We're a green company."

In addition, the store provides computer stations to track and catalog all of its donations.

"If a customer wants an itemized list of all the items he or she donated throughout the year for tax purposes, we can provide that," he said. "It's an added value we bring to the Dearborn store."

Lane said the company has invested more than $500,000 in the building's renovation, which includes new floors, a drop-off station, and a modern show room.

The company also connects with customers through its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"Once in awhile we will post an 'item of the week,' and people love it. They look forward to seeing what we have in the store," he said. "Facebook and Twitter are great ways to keep our customers informed of promotions and events, as well."

Dearborn resident Anna Greco, who shops at the store weekly, said she enjoys finding "hidden treasures."

"The store is done very tastefully," she said. "I was shocked. I think it's a great asset for our community. The staff are very helpful and friendly."

Goodwill is one of three Dearborn businesses nominated for the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce's Innovative Business Award. The winner will be announced at the Business Recognition and Awards Ceremony Expo on April 19 at The Henry Hotel. Learn more at www.dearbornchamber.org.


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