In massive information for thrifters all over the place, Goodwill goes digital. It’s launching GoodwillFinds, a brand new web site that means that you can flick through roughly 100,000 items of secondhand merchandise from the consolation of your sofa.
As an alternative of constructing your strategy to one in every of Goodwill’s 3,300 shops, now you’ll be able to simply click on in your favourite bargains and have them shipped to you. As a result of your purchases will come from Goodwill places throughout the U.S. and Canada, the delivery prices for every merchandise will differ — however they’ll by no means be a shock. At checkout, you’ll be supplied delivery choices primarily based in your tackle.
The aim is to checklist 1,000,000 objects on the location inside a number of years, said Matthew Kaness, the web site’s CEO. Finally, the plan is for GoodwillFinds to be customized for customers primarily based on every buyer’s earlier purchases on the location.
For now, there’s a search bar, and you can even browse by class. Do you want girls’s clothes, males’s clothes or sneakers? Cookware, jewellery or books? House decor? Collector’s objects? It’s all there.
When individuals donate their secondhand stuff to Goodwill shops, employees will determine which issues to checklist on-line. They’ll examine every merchandise, and if it’s soiled or in dangerous form, they received’t attempt to promote it.
Goodwill additionally says they’ll settle for returns for purchases that arrive broken, or if there’s an incorrect merchandise in your order. GoodwillFinds takes main bank cards and PayPal, however not Apple Pay.
The brand new web site is the brainchild of a coalition of Goodwill leaders from throughout the nation who wished to deliver Goodwill totally into the digital age. It’s an enchancment over Goodwill’s earlier web providing, an public sale website referred to as ShopGoodwill (which continues to be working). You’ll be able to’t simply click-and-purchase on that website — you must bid on objects.
This new Goodwill purchasing website comes simply in time for the vacation purchasing season, too.
And though we’re massive followers of placing collectively inexpensive Halloween costumes, you’ll want to put your on-line order for spooky stuff by Oct. 20, in response to the web site. After that, you’ll must go to Goodwill in particular person to throw collectively an affordable zombie or rocker costume.
Goodwill is a 120-year-old nonprofit group, the granddaddy of thrift retailers all over the place. Whenever you purchase from Goodwill — or from GoodwillFinds — the proceeds assist fund Goodwill’s community-based social service packages throughout the U.S. and Canada, like youth mentorship, job placement {and professional} coaching.
Additionally, it’s a great way to save lots of a buck or two.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior author at The FinanceGrabber.