More than 500 customers walked through the doors of Ridgefield’s new Goodwill store during its first 15 minutes after the ribbon was cut at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3.
The turnout and hype surrounding the newest Goodwill Superstore in Clark County came despite the early morning start and overcast weather, with shoppers arriving well before the store opened.
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette Vocational Services Director David Miller said the crowds were typical of what the organization sees during grand openings.
“Every time we have a grand opening, we have people here. Doesn't matter what the weather is, they're here. They're wrapped around the building,” Miller said.
The Ridgefield location is intended to be more than a retail store, Miller said. Revenue from donated merchandise helps fund Goodwill programs, including employment assistance, education and career services.
Goodwill's job connection program helps people find employment, while the organization also offers free English and second-language classes, U.S. citizenship test preparation and computer training ranging from basic skills to advanced Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
“We offer all these services free, no charge whatsoever,” Miller said.
The Ridgefield store allows those services to be provided directly in the community while also giving residents another location to donate and shop.
“This is a brand new community for us to be in, not only to donate and to shop, but also provide services and to give back to the community for all the donations and all the sales they give us,” Miller said.
For Ridgefield Mayor Matt Cole, the opening represents an opportunity for a growing city to add both employment and services without requiring residents to leave the community.
“It's absolutely amazing because it just represents so much more than just people opening up a store to shop at,” Cole said. “I think this clearly represents something larger than the community, so it's really exciting to see so many people come out for it.”
Cole said the store is expected to bring about 40 new jobs to Ridgefield. Goodwill's hiring event drew more than 100 applicants, he added.
“This is 40 new jobs in the city of Ridgefield,” Cole said. “It's a lot of entry-level jobs, too.”
Among the early shoppers were Vancouver residents Ellery Douglas and Monica Martinez, who arrived with coffee expecting to grab a few items. Halfway through their shopping experience, the two already had a full cart. Martinez said the pair came because Goodwill grand openings can offer an especially good selection.
“Because it's Goodwill," Martinez said on why the two were shopping at the grand opening. “It's important to come out to the grand opening because I feel like when they first open they usually put a lot of, like, gems in the store.”
The pair found Levi's jeans, Kate Spade crystals, champagne glasses, glassware, a runner rug and small silver-plated frames. Douglas said one of her favorite finds was a small ceramic piece designed to hold cinnamon sticks.
“It's just like got this cute botanical. It's tiny, but I think it'll be really cute displayed with my spices in my home. So, I'm excited for that,” Douglas said.
Douglas said the size of the opening crowd was surprising, particularly after hearing that some shoppers had arrived as early as 6 a.m.
“I'm very surprised, yeah,” Douglas said. “We went and got coffee, and then we pulled up, and we're like, ‘yeah, we should have been here maybe earlier.’”
The crowd made shopping more difficult, Martinez said, but also added to the excitement.
“It's a little anxiety inducing for sure,” Martinez said. “Not used to shopping at Goodwill and having 20 people in line.”
However, the grand-opening rush created a line that stretched literally around the inside of the store.
For Miller, the massive opening crowd underscored the role Goodwill hopes to play in Ridgefield.
“We know there's a lot of people here that need services and can take advantage of the discounts we offer in our stores, especially in a tough economy right now,” Miller said.
Cole called the opening another milestone for Ridgefield as the city continues to grow.
“Again, it's just another community milestone,” Cole said. “As we grow, it's good to have good partners to grow with you.”
The Ridgefield Goodwill Superstore will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., located at 121 S. 65th Ave. in Ridgefield.
