A 16,000 square-foot Goodwill store currently under construction at 420 Palm Coast Parkway SW across from AdventHealth’s new hospital is anticipated to facilitate increased activity in Palm Coast by the charity retail thrift chain.
“We absolutely are excited about this new store,” David Rey, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northeast Florida, told Palm Coast Magazine in mid-May 2022. “We are excited to expand in Palm Coast. We love Palm Coast.”
The new PC store also represents a location change for Goodwill, Rey said.
Goodwill thrift stores are commonly located in grocery shopping centers with other retailers nearby, he explained.
Being across from a hospital is a new dynamic, he noted.
“It isn’t typical for us,” Rey said. “But with the number of people that will be working at the hospital, we look forward to seeing the response to the store.”
Keeping his fingers crossed, Rey said Goodwill looks toward a mid-July 2022 grand opening celebration for the new store.
Supply chain delays — particularly the fact that structural steel was unobtainable for six to eight months — have delayed construction, Rey said.
For fans of thrift shopping and for those who regularly donate to Goodwill, the new store should be worth the extra wait for several reasons.
Rey explained the new location will be much for easier for commuters to access and leave with its larger entrance and exit.
The current location is 10,000 square feet. That means the new store will offer nearly double the retail space.
It will also employee more local people. The current store employs 12; the new store is expected to employ up to 25.
“Our mission is to remove barriers from employment,” Rey said referencing Goodwill’s human resources approach that offers jobs to potential employees such as those with disabilities, those needing a fresh start such as participants in work release programs or even teens needing a first job. “Part of the beautiful thing about Goodwill’s thrifting business is that our hiring is completely wide open across the board.”
Learn about Goodwill Industries of Northeast Florida online at www.goodwilljax.org.
The current Palm Coast Goodwill store is located at 20 Cypress Point Parkway.
