Goodwill Store will open July 8 at North Town Mall

by Paul Flemming

SBJ Staff

Missouri Goodwill Industries will open its largest retail operation July 8 in the North Town Mall.

The St. Louis-based not-for-profit organization operates 14 other retail stores in Missouri and Illinois, and coming to Springfield has been in the works for two years.

"From a retail perspective, we need to be there" in Springfield, said Larry G. Nernes, president and chief executive officer of operations for Missouri Goodwill.

Goodwill will open a donation center at 2800 W. Battlefield at the same time as the 22,000-square-foot retail store. Nernes said the North Glenstone store is located to best serve its cost-conscious customers and the Battlefield location is designed for donor convenience.

Shoppers at the Wal-Mart in the North Town Mall might also be attracted to the Goodwill store, Nernes said. Two other Goodwill stores, in Columbia and Edwardsville, Ill., also are next to Wal-Mart locations, he said.

Wal-Mart owns the North Town Mall and Nernes characterized the relationship with the discount retailer as a partnership. Wal-Mart served as the contractor on the remodeling of the mall store, and opening promotions will be a cooperative effort, Nernes said.

Goodwill's Springfield operations will employ between 25 and 30 people initially, all but one hired locally. Pam Porteus is division director for Goodwill Industries in the area.

"Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities ... to reach their vocational goals," Nernes said.

The not-for-profit gets between 60 percent to 78 percent of its revenue from retail operations.

In 1998 2,500 people were involved in Goodwill programs and made the transition to employment in the private sector.

"We first come in with a retail operation, and then do a community assessment and design our programs around needs in the area," Nernes said. In addition to retail and janitorial training that coincides with its own operations, he said programs in food-service training are also offered.

"We've also been motivated to train in the computer area because there is such a demand (for employees) in that area," Nernes said.

The Springfield store will have about 19,000 square feet of selling space. Men's and women's clothing will comprise about 75 percent of its offerings, with furniture and other hard goods making up the remainder.

Initially the store will be supplied from donor centers around the rest of the state.

Items may be donated at both the retail store and the West Battlefield donor center. Clothing, kitchenware and other household goods are accepted. Receipts for tax-deduction purposes are given for usable items.

Goodwill does not repair or patch donations, so everything should be in usable and salable condition.

Grand opening ceremonies are planned July 8-10, kicked off with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. July 8.

Hourly prize drawings are among the activities planned throughout the three days.

Nernes said the two-year long search for an appropriate location revealed other areas the organization would like to expand into in the future.

"Eventually we want to be in the South Glenstone area," Nernes said, adding that the former North Town Theater in the North Town Mall, now vacant, might also provide room for expansion in three to four years.

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