Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont will open a unique new store concept in Rockingham, NC on Friday, April 22. The store is unlike any other location operated by the organization.
This new location is the organization’s largest yet – at more than 35,000 square feet, taking over the former Lidl at 705 US 74 Business Rockingham, NC 28379. In addition to the traditional drive-up donation drop off and shopping people know of Goodwill, this concept store features a locally owned café, a one-thousand square foot community room for events, and a store-within-a-store, the second location of the nonprofit’s technology store, The GRID: Powered by Goodwill.
The first-of-its-kind store marks the second grand opening for the local nonprofit in 2022, kicking off a phase of significant growth for the organization. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont has bold plans to open 25 new stores in the next five years, allowing the organization to repurpose more items, and raise more funds to serve people in the community through its career training and employment services.
“We’re so excited about our ability to expand our footprint into Rockingham and contribute to the growth of this part of our region,” said Jose Luis, chief operating officer at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “This new concept store will allow Goodwill to connect with the community through partnership with local entrepreneurs and our community space. We believe in this new concept so much, that we are working with Boos Development Group, Inc. to recreate this approach again in Shelby later this year!”
This marks the nonprofit’s 27th store in the greater Charlotte region, and first in Richmond County, NC. The new store in Rockingham brings 30 new jobs to the region and has an estimated economic impact of $3.3 million annually, including wages and sales. This new store also allows Goodwill to connect more deeply with the community through the community space and partnership with local entrepreneurs operating The Salty Bean, a locally-owned and family-operated café that will operate within the space.
“Since our first meeting with Goodwill, we were sold on the concept and what the organization is envisioning for the community. Rockingham has been our home for going on 15 years now, and we look forward serving and giving back to Richmond County for the foreseeable future,” said Daniel Ruperd, owner of The Salty Bean. “This partnership will give us an opportunity to expand our services and the number of guests we can accommodate. We intend to provide a space for people to gather – a place where people can sit for a few hours, socialize, and have a great cup of coffee with friends and colleagues,” he added.
At 9:45 a.m., a ceremonial ribbon cutting will begin with representatives from Goodwill, the Richmond County Chamber and Boos Development Group, Inc. Doors will open for shopping at 10 a.m. Regular hours for the new store are Monday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Tuesday from 9 a.m – 9 p.m., Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. The first 100 Goodwill shoppers will receive a free reusable shopping tote, and golden gift cards with amounts varying from $5 – $20 will be hidden throughout the store, throughout the day!
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