Headed for new Goodwill store? Expect a line

Expect a line at 9 a.m. Friday when it opens to the public. They are.

On Tuesday afternoon, people already were stopping by, even though signs clearly said the store wouldn't open to the public for a couple of days more. Goodwill of Southern Nevada is opening its newest location at 4580 W. Sahara Ave, in the T.G.I. Friday's shopping center. The 16,000-square-foot store and drive-thru donation center is replacing the nonprofit's 6344 W. Sahara Ave. location.

The store shuffle is part of Goodwill of Southern Nevada's larger plan to expand its retail presence that includes adding two new stores per year for five years. The project began with the opening of the store at 9385 W. Flamingo Road in June, the group's first new location in six years.

Goodwill of Southern Nevada Chief Operating Officer Alyn Reeves said the expansion plan allows the group to take advantage of lower rents in larger spaces as the organization's current retail leases expire. Reeves, though, said he couldn't disclose rent amounts.

Expect bigger, brighter, more merchandised Goodwill stores. The location opening Friday, for instance, will offer 3,000 square feet more retail space than the store it's replacing, giving customers 40 percent more product from which to choose.

When the new Sahara Avenue store opens, expect a solid selection of Halloween items, from wigs and makeup to decorations and costumes. Clothing racks and permanent dressing rooms look more like those in other traditional retailers than those in a thrift store. And a good array of housewares, books and toys round out the shop's major collections.

Many retailers look to the holiday shopping season for a business boost. But thrift stores, Reeves said, tend to be steady year-round and don't necessarily see a significant business uptick at the end of the year.

For 2012, overall sales are up 15 percent at Goodwill, and donations are up 17 percent. The valley's Goodwill store count now stands at nine, with one boutique location in the Albertsons store at 9725 S. Maryland Parkway.

Each customer who shops at the Albertsons boutique receives a coupon for use in one of the full-scale stores .

Goodwill retail director Chris Matlock, said the organization plans to add more Albertsons stores as locations and opportunities become available.

"It's a great opportunity for us to expand our customer base," Matlock said.

Back on West Sahara, the first 100 customers through the new store's doors on Friday will receive a $5 off coupon. All day, customers can enter a raffle for free prize giveaways.

Eight new employees were hired for the store, bringing the location's total employee count to 35. Six of the store's employees are former clients.

"We're proud of that fact," store manager Blondell Jones said.

Reeves said the look and size of the West Sahara store is the model Goodwill will replicate throughout its expansion. In first quarter 2013, the nonprofit plans to expand its 31 N. Nellis Blvd. location to three times its current 5,500-square-foot size, making it the next store in the group's crosshairs.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588.