BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Goodwill Industries of South Central California officially opened its largest Bakersfield location Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The 17,000-square-foot store is set up inside a former Rite Aid in northwest Bakersfield and had a soft opening on Sept. 10.
The new location replaces a much smaller store that had operated nearby for more than a decade.
"We've actually had a presence for over a decade right down the street, but it was a much smaller store, about 5,000 square feet or so," Jake Slayton, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central California, said. "So when this came available, we were really excited about it because it allowed us to really expand."
The expanded space also allowed the organization to grow its workforce. Goodwill hired people with barriers to employment and added about a dozen new full-time positions with benefits from its other stores.
"It also expanded our mission," Slayton said. "We hired people with barriers to employment. We're able to add about a dozen new positions here from our other stores, so it was a win-win all the way around."
The store carries tens of thousands of items, with new donations arriving daily. Slayton said inventory turns over quickly, with items typically on the floor for no longer than five weeks.
"If you come once a month, it's a completely new store every time you come in," Slayton said.
The larger footprint also improved how the organization handles donations. At the previous location, donated items were often staged outside. The new space allows everything to be processed indoors, which Slayton said improves efficiency and the quality of items that make it to the sales floor.
Slayton said the decision to expand was driven by the organization's nonprofit mission rather than economic conditions, though he noted the thrift industry has seen strong and stable growth since the pandemic.
"When the economy is really good, people also buy more and they donate their old stuff," Slayton said. "But what we're seeing so far is even with the ups and downs we've seen in the economy, people are still willing to donate."
He added that shoppers are increasingly motivated by sustainability.
"Shoppers are also more sustainability focused these days," Slayton said. "They want to extend the lives of these products, keep them out of the waste stream as long as possible, and Goodwill right now is the main way that that is done."
The northwest Bakersfield store is not the only former Rite Aid Goodwill has its eye on. Slayton confirmed the organization is also expanding into a Rite Aid location at Old River and Panama Lane.
"We have one more in the works," Slayton said. "Old River in Panama, we are expanding into that Rite Aid down there as well."
He said the former pharmacy spaces have converted well for Goodwill's needs and credited a positive relationship with the landlord for making the transitions smooth.
For those interested in working at Goodwill, Slayton said the organization focuses on long-term employment and stability, with 95% of its workforce in full-time positions with access to benefits.
"We're not looking for you to start and then move you on to somewhere else," Slayton said. "We may be the best place for you for the long term. We've had employees that have been here for 20 or 30 years, and we live on the dignity of work."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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