Goodwill Opens First of Two New Southwest Florida Stores in September

Sept. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- One down, one to go.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida cut the ribbon on its new Naples Donation Center & Book Store on Friday, Sept, 7.  The grand opening is the first of two in just two weeks for the agency, which operates 26 retail stores in Southwest Florida.  A second grand opening will occur next Friday, Sept. 14, in Estero.

The new Naples book store is located at 1795 9th Street N.

“The book store is in a great location for both shoppers and donors,” says Kirsten O’Donnell, Goodwill’s (http://www.goodwillswfl.org) director of public relations.  “Being on the Trail so close to Coastland Center will give our store—and our mission—a lot of visibility.”

A small crowd of shoppers had already formed outside the book store by 8:30 a.m., well in advance of the 9:00 ribbon cutting.

“Our first shopper traveled all the way from Cape Coral to Naples to check out the new store,” says O’Donnell.  “And we expect a much bigger crowd next week in Estero.”

The new Estero store (10351 Corkscrew Commons Drive ) opening on Sept 14 will replace the current Goodwill boutique on Three Oaks Pkwy.

“Our new location is just over 11,000 square feet, which makes it more than three times larger than the existing Three Oaks store,” states Robert Randall, Goodwill’s vice president of retail operations. “The new store will employ 20 workers- which is quite an increase from the five employees currently at the Three Oaks store.”

The existing Three Oaks store will close on Tuesday, September 11th.

Both new stores utilizes greener construction elements including thermal insulation, to properly seal the building and eliminate air leakage, native plant species throughout the landscaping, and energy-efficient interior light fixtures.

The Friday grand opening ceremony at the new Corkscrew location will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce facilitating a ribbon cutting.  The store will open to the public at 9:00 a.m.

The new store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Visitors to the weekend Grand Opening celebration will have the opportunity to win a brand-new iPod Nano. In addition, people who donate to Goodwill over the weekend will receive an added discount by bringing in a grand opening postcard or newspaper ad.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. serves Collier, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties.  Revenue earned at Goodwill’s Retail & Donation Centers supports programs and services for people with disabilities and other disadvantages.  Programs include Goodwill’s L.I.F.E. Academy, a charter school for students with intellectual disabilities ages 11 through 22, Job-Link career training and placement services, and income-sensitive housing for people with disabilities and senior citizens.

For more information about Goodwill’s programs and services, or for store locations, visit the agency’s website at http://www.goodwillswfl.org.