ONLY hours remain for some shoppers to get last-minute finds at a beloved thrift chain.
The retailer is closing the doors of two popular locations this month.
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At least 90 employees will be affected by the shutdowns for Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay (GSFB) in California today, June 7, per The CW affiliate KRON-TV.
This is verified in state filings, and includes Oakland and San Francisco locations.
For the Oakland store at 1301 30th Avenue, 72 staff members will be laid off, and at the 750 Post Street spot in San Francisco, 18 others will be forced to find work elsewhere.
All have been offered opportunities to apply for roles at other Goodwill stores.
Either way, local consumers will also need to search for thrifting gems at other retailers or small businesses.
“As Goodwill of the San Fransisco Bay looks ahead, we have made some adjustments to our existing footprint and structure to better position the organization for future growth plans in the coming years,” a spokesperson told the outlet in April.
“GSFB is actively working to secure and open new future locations that will reflect larger, more efficient operational spaces, and an enhanced shopping and donating experience for our community.”
Two headquarter offices and an Oakland-based warehouse also shuttered permanently.
After the June 7 closures, a total of 13 Goodwill locations will have closed in California so far this year.
GOODWILL SPEAKS OUT
Goodwill cited financial struggles and logistical issues as some reasons behind the closures in a statement to The US Sun.
“While never an easy decision, became necessary to close a few store locations due to their size and operational limitations where store revenues were not enough to cover operational and personnel costs,” Rodney Scearce, another Goodwill spokesperson, told the publication.
Longtime fans of Goodwill have been stunned by the removal of the locations.
“Wow, what’s the world coming to?” a shopper asked in a thread online.
“They are closing everything.”
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
“I need a place to make donations,” another added.
Scearce also noted that openings of more Goodwill stores around or near the Bay Area are still in the company’s plans despite the shutdowns.
This would only happen if the company could remain sustainable in the process.
NOT ALONE
Goodwill certainly isn’t the only retailer with mass closures planned for this year.
Macy’s is continuing its Bold New Chapter plan with at least 66 closures this spring and more on the way towards its total cuts of 150.
Dollar Tree has also pledged to “maximize value” for customers amid 370 upcoming shutdowns.
Some have also filed for bankruptcy recently.
Big Lots notably went under at the end of last year and axed most of its footprint before re-emerging.
Crafts retailer Joann has also filed its second bankruptcy and shut the doors on all its remaining locations.
