The highly anticipated and slightly controversial Goodwill finally opened last Friday, September 23rd. With the store being off Indian School and Jackrabbit, it is very accessible to Verrado students. A few friends and I were able to pay the location a visit the following day of its opening, and I began the search to expand my closet (with low expectations, to be honest). 

From the start, it was very crowded. But it’s unrealistic to think that the store wouldn’t be busy on a Saturday morning, and the second day of being open at that. With this being said, however, the lines were long, and the overall vibe of the store felt very disorganized and hectic. Nevertheless, I pursued on.

Walking in at first glance, the store was chalked full of clothes. The store layout looks very similar to every Goodwill, so it felt familiar. The aisles were practically overflowing with clothes. The people of Verrado finally had a chance to clean out their closets and dump them off somewhere, and they did not disappoint. Expecting to find low-quality brands like Shein, we were met with older vintage pieces that seemed original and unique. It’s almost as if you were visiting an estate sale, a lot of the clothes looked like they were straight from your grandma’s closet. Everyone can appreciate a good granny sweater, though. The most impressive section of the store was the women’s shirts aisle. There were approximately 8 racks full, all color-coordinated and organized by size. 

On a side note, the employees working at the time were incredibly nice and helpful. The customer service was exceptional, and they did a great job keeping composure, even if the swarms of thrifters became a little bit stressful at times. 

After an hour or so of looking, I came to a halt with a denim top for $7, a haltered vest for $3, a slip skirt for $4, a Victoria’s Secret slip dress for $7, a pair of Mudd Jeans for $4, and 2 bedsheets that I bought with the intent of using for fabric, one being $7 and the other being $3. Altogether, a price of $35 isn’t ideal at any other thrift store, but Goodwill is notorious for its unreasonable prices, so in the Goodwill realm, it’s not too bad.

Overall, the Goodwill wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. If you go in with low expectations, you’ll be surprised to find great pieces. With generally reasonable prices and a large variety to choose from, it wouldn’t hurt to pay the Verrado Goodwill a visit.